Agenda item

To receive a report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Management inviting formal comment on the Leeds Local Development Framework Core Strategy before the final draft is submitted to the Executive for recommendation to full Council.

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report which presented the Leeds Local Development Framework Core Strategy (Core Strategy) to the Board. The Core Strategy forms part of the Council’s budget and policy framework and the Board was invited to make formal comments before the final draft is considered by the Executive Board for recommendation to full Council.

Present to discuss the Leeds Local Development Framework Core Strategy with Members were:

Cllr P Gruen – Executive Member for Neighbourhoods, Planning and Support Services;

Cllr N Taggart – Chair of Development Plan Panel;

Cllr J Illingworth – Chair of Scrutiny Board (Health & Wellbeing and Adult Social Care); and

Steve Speak – Deputy Chief Planning Officer.

Councillor Gruen introduced the Leeds Local Development Framework Core Strategy to the Board. He highlighted the challenges faced by the Council both currently and in the future. He highlighted that new homes will be built across Leeds but that the Council had an opportunity to make sure that these properties are built in the right places.

Steve Speak went on to take Members of the Board through the chronology of the development of the Leeds Local Development Framework Core Strategy from its inception in 2006. Further to this Councillor Taggart confirmed that this Strategy has been scrutinised throughout its development through the work of the Development Plan Panel.

Councillor Illingworth addressed the Board and voiced his concerns about the importance of the links between spatial planning and public health. It was highlighted to the Board that deprivation is a serious issue in Leeds which is often masked by the affluence of outer suburbs.

Members went on discuss the report in detail firstly welcoming the Core Strategy and highlighting the importance of the Strategy being approved and adopted as soon as possible, and given a chance to succeed.

The Board expressed concern about the potential for confusion and future dispute arising from the current format of the key diagram, particularly in relation to the indicative depiction of potential new housing locations.

Having been informed that the diagram was a required element of the strategy, Members welcomed the support of the Executive Member and officer present to the proposal to add an appropriate note to the diagram and to emphasise the overriding importance of policy SP7 (Distribution of Housing Land and Allocations).

Members considered it important that the Core Strategy should be able to stand up to legal challenges and appeals that might occur in the future. The Board were informed of the engagement that had taken place with Counsel in the preparation of the strategy.

Members also commented that there were a number of drafting issues with the Core Strategy and thought it important that such documents are proof read before they are published.

Members debated the meaning of sustainable development and how this can be achieved economically, environmentally and in terms of education. At this point Members also highlighted the importance of maintaining allotments as green spaces and suggested that the Core Strategy should make more significant references to this issue. It was also suggested that specific reference to Leeds as a Child Friendly City needed to be included.

Public health was discussed by the Board, specifically that of the inner city, and it was agreed that the comments from the Scrutiny Board (Health and Wellbeing and Adult Social Care) should be included with the comments sent to the Executive Board.

Members also discussed the Site Specific Allocation process which is currently being progressed, and stressed that Member views needed to be taken into account.

The Chair sought reassurance that the core strategy reflected the Board’s previous recommendation to include employment and skills obligations in planning applications over a certain threshold.

Discussions concluded with the Chair summarising the meeting stating that Members welcomed the Core Strategy and accepted the need for it to move forward.

RESOLVED –

(a) that the Board’s comments be drafted by the Principal Scrutiny Adviser and agreed by email correspondence.

(b) that the comments of the Board be submitted to the Executive Board alongside the comments of the Scrutiny Board (Health and Wellbeing and Adult Social Care) in their entirety.