Agenda item

To consider the report of the Chief Planning Officer which seeks the Board’s agreement to the site allocations proposals, as presented, as the basis on which to prepare the Site Allocations Plan and the Aire Valley Leeds Area Action Plan Publication Draft Plans, for consideration by the Development Plan Panel and approval of the Executive Board prior to deposit for public consultation in 2015. The report also seeks agreement to the areas identified for further work, whilst noting that further refinement to the proposed allocations may be necessary in the light of the work on plan preparation and further evidence coming forward. Finally, the report invites the Board to agree to withdraw the Council’s Interim PAS Policy with immediate effect.

(Please note that Appendix 6 to this report is recommended to be designated as exempt from publication under the provisions of Access to Information Procedure Rule 10.4(5)).

The Chief Planning Officer submitted a report which sought the Board’s agreement to the site allocations proposals, as presented, as the basis on which to prepare the Site Allocations Plan and the Aire Valley Leeds Area Action Plan Publication Draft Plans, for consideration by the Development Plan Panel and approval of the Executive Board prior to deposit for the purposes of public consultation in 2015. The report also sought agreement to the areas identified for further work, whilst noting that further refinement to the proposed allocations may be necessary in the light of the work on plan preparation and further evidence coming forward. Finally, the report also invited the Board to agree to withdraw the Council’s Interim Protected Areas of Search (PAS) Policy with immediate effect.

In introducing the report, the Executive Member for Neighbourhoods, Planning and Personnel outlined the extent of the work and consultation which had been undertaken to date in the development of the draft plans. In addition, he highlighted the key areas of infrastructure, employment, green space, retail and housing to which the proposed allocations related, identified those matters as detailed within the report which remained outstanding as they required further deliberation, and in making reference to the range of correspondence on the proposals which had been received to date, emphasised that such correspondence would be taken into consideration as appropriate. 

In considering the submitted report and appendices, the following key points were raised:-

·  Whilst acknowledging the key importance of ensuring a thorough and robust consultation process continued, a Member highlighted the need to ensure that any period of uncertainty for residents of Leeds was minimised;

·  Members discussed the population forecasting data which had been used as a basis for the submitted proposals and it was highlighted that related Government statistics would be taken into consideration once they had been released;

·  The Board considered the approach which had been proposed regarding the phasing of sites allocated for housing, and also the proposed approach regarding the development of brownfield land, and the factors which affected such respective approaches;

·  Discussion took place on specific matters relating to several individual sites, as detailed within the draft proposals;

·  Clarification was provided around the proposed scheduling of the matter being re-submitted to the Board for further consideration, and also in relation to the proposed next steps, with emphasis being placed upon the opportunity that remained for members of the public to submit their views on such matters;

·  The Board’s attention was drawn to the fact that over 70 items of correspondence had been received since Development Plan Panel met to consider such matters on 13^th January 2015,  and it was noted that this correspondence largely related to sites in Aireborough, Weetwood and Scarcroft.

For the purposes of clarification, the Board was advised of several corrections which were to be made to the published documentation on this item. Also, in a proposed amendment to the published report, in respect of site 1143B (Old Thorpe Lane, Tingley), it was proposed that no decision be taken in respect of this site until further work had been undertaken.

Following consideration of Appendix 6 to the submitted report, designated as exempt from publication under the provisions of Access to Information Procedure Rule 10.4(5), which was considered in private at the conclusion of the meeting, it was

RESOLVED –

(a)  That subject to the corrections to be made as reported at the meeting and also subject to the inclusion of site 1143B (Old Thorpe Lane, Tingley) in the ‘Outstanding Matters’ category, the site allocations proposals, as set out in the submitted report and its appendices, be agreed as the basis on which to prepare the Site Allocations Plan and the Aire Valley Leeds Area Action Plan Publication Draft Plans, for consideration by the Development Plan Panel and also for approval by Executive Board prior to being placed upon deposit for the purposes of public consultation in 2015;

(b)  That the areas identified within the submitted report for further work be agreed, subject to the inclusion of site 1143B (Old Thorpe Lane, Tingley) in this category, and that it be noted that further refinement to the proposed allocations may be necessary in the light of the work on plan preparation and further evidence coming forward;

(c)  That approval be given to withdraw the Council’s Interim PAS Policy with immediate effect.

(Under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.5, Councillor A Carter required it to be recorded that he voted against the matters referred to within this minute, whilst under the same provisions, Councillor Golton required it to be recorded that he abstained from voting on resolutions (a) and (b) above)

(In accordance with the Council’s Executive and Decision Making Procedure Rules, the matters referred to within this minute were not eligible for Call In as the power to Call In decisions does not extend to those decisions made in accordance with the Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules, which includes the resolutions above)