Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Acting Director of City Development providing an update on the outcome of an appeal relating to a substantial greenfield housing site at Grimes Dyke, East Leeds, and inviting the Board to consider any actions to be taken as a consequence of this decision by the Secretary of State.

The Acting Director of City Development submitted a report providing an update on the outcome of an appeal relating to a substantial greenfield housing site at Grimes Dyke, East Leeds. The report noted that the decision taken by the Secretary of State followed a series of similar cases determined by individual inspectors and invited consideration of the consequences arising from the decision in terms of the Council’s approach towards similar greenfield developments in the future.

Councillor A Carter emphasised the need to postpone the immediate release of all the Phase 2 and 3 housing allocations within the UDP, as recommended within the report, until after the outcomes from the related Inquiry undertaken by the Scrutiny Board (Regeneration) had been considered. 

Members highlighted the need for an all party lobbying exercise to be undertaken in order to relay the Council’s concerns in respect of this matter to the Minister for Housing and Local Government, with enquiries being made as to the possibility of involving other Local Authorities who were in a similar position.

Having highlighted the importance of maintaining the current balance between greenfield sites and urban settlements across the city, the Chief Executive highlighted the need for officers and Members to engage further with developers in order to move forward on this matter. 

RESOLVED -

(a)    That the outcome of the appeal at Grimes Dyke and the consequences for Council policy, as set out within the submitted report, be noted.

(b)    That the release of all the Phase 2 and 3 housing allocations in the UDP be agreed, subject to proposals coming forward being otherwise acceptable in planning terms.

(c)    That the withdrawal from the appeal on land at Whitehall Road, Drighlington, be agreed.

(d)    That approval be given to the Regional Spatial Strategy providing the basis for assessing the 5 year land supply pending the Core Strategy.

(e)    That the Prospectus, attached as Appendix A to the submitted report, be endorsed as the basis for informal consultation on the Core Strategy housing issues.

(f)    That Scrutiny Board (Regeneration) be invited to review and report on the population and household projection information that will underpin the Core Strategy, in addition to the land banking practices of developers, with such a review being undertaken as a matter of urgency in order to enable progress to be maintained according to the Core Strategy timetable, with the outcomes from the review being submitted to the Executive Board in due course.

(g)  That an all party lobbying exercise be undertaken in order to relay the Council’s concerns in respect of this matter to the Minister for  Housing and Local Government.

(The matters referred to in this minute were not eligible for Call In as there was a further, similar appeal case for which evidence was due, and it was important that the Council’s approach towards that case was established and confirmed at the earliest opportunity).