Agenda item

The report of the Director of City Development provides a note of the workshop held for Development Plan Panel Members and others on 4^th October 2017.

The Director of City Development submitted a report providing a note of the presentations and discussions held at the informal workshop for Development Plan Panel Members and others on 4^th October 2017. The workshop focussed on some of the choices available for drafting policies and the scope of the Core Strategy Selective Review (CSSR). During discussions in response to the workshop notes, the Panel noted the following comments:

·  Some Members were keen to have a wider review of the Housing Market Characteristic Area (HMCA) boundaries, not just the anomalies identified to some boundaries.

·  The impact of the housing target calculation methodology, recently amended and simplified by the Government

·  Housing figures and the need to recognise that, until the Site Allocations Plan (SAP) containing a new housing target figure is adopted, the Authority will be under pressure to consider applications submitted in order to secure green belt or white land for development under the current SAP housing target

·  The proposed timescale for adoption of the revised housing target figure, recognising that the volume of consultation responses and the time taken to process them could impact on the planned implementation by end of 2018

·  The Strategic Housing Market Assessment process and the need to encourage housing delivery build-out rates to support Leeds’s 5 year land supply. One Member commented that as it was some time since the SHMA was reviewed; it would be useful to have up to date build-out rates.

·  The anticipated Chancellors Autumn Statement which could reflect the ongoing negotiation with the Department for Communities and Local Government over the two part Housing Deal for Leeds - firstly a city-wide approach involving the Housing Revenue Account and proposals to parcel up smaller pieces of land to encourage viable development by Small and Medium sized builders; and secondly the implementation of the Housing Investment Fund to address how the Authority can encourage the development of 17,000 homes on Brownfield Land. One Member suggested a cautious approach to the housing growth deal negotiations and reported on his experience of the current Homes & Community Agency disposal programme and focus on development on Government owned land and land designated as greenbelt or white land in his ward.

·  The Panel expressed support for additional resources to be targeted to support work on the CSSR, recognising that resources will be under pressure whilst the Authority deals with three urgent major pieces of work - the CSSR, Site Allocations Plan process and the Strategic Housing Market Assessment whilst also processing PAS site applications and complex appeals. Members received assurance that additional resources has been pooled from across Planning Services to support the processes and additionally, officers agreed to report the Panel’s comments to the Chief Planning Officer.

·  The ‘5 year land supply’ and the Authority’s position at appeals was discussed. Members received assurance that all of the evidence collated throughout the CSSR and SAP processes will be presented to any Inspector dealing with Section 78 planning appeals. It was reported that recently, Inspectors had had regard to other issues such as the Leeds Core Strategy and sustainability when considering appeals and the Authority would continue to defend appeals robustly with an increased focus on issues other than the 5 year land supply.

·  The impact of the implementation of the new Brownfield Land Register was also discussed, in terms of the ‘planning permission in principle’ process and the contribution to Leeds’s 5 year land supply. Members noted this as the Governments support for the development of Brownfield land although comments were made that developers would still focus on green land development.

RESOLVED – That the contents of the report and the comments made during discussions be noted.

(Councillor R Lewis joined the meeting at this point)