Agenda and minutes

To consider any appeals in accordance with Procedure Rule 15.2 of the Access to Information Rules (in the event of an Appeal the press and public will be excluded)

(*In accordance with Procedure Rule 15.2, written notice of an appeal must be received by the Head of Governance Services at least 24 hours before the meeting)

There were no appeals against the refusal of inspection of documents.

The agenda contained no exempt information.

No formal late items of business were added to the agenda.

To disclose or draw attention to any disclosable pecuniary interests for the purposes of Section 31 of the Localism Act 2011 and paragraphs 13-16 of the Members’ Code of Conduct

There were no declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Campbell; J Procter and Wakefield. Councillor P Gruen was welcomed as substitute for Councillor Wakefield. 

To agree the minutes of the previous meeting held 7^th March 2017 as a correct record.

Minute 65 Hot Food Take Away Supplementary Planning Document – An amendment to the HFT2 narrative was requested to include “In Leeds there are the equivalent of 126 HFT per 100,000 population, which is above the national average, the Panel were asked to consider whether a discretionary measure of a given number of HFT per 100,000 population should be established.”

RESOLVED - That the minutes of the Development Plan Panel meeting held on 7^th March 2017 be approved; subject to the amendment of Minute 65 identified above.

Minute 63 Minutes – Site Allocations Plan – The SAP was submitted on 5^th May 2017. The anticipated pre-Inquiry meeting with the Inspectors would set out the timetable to progress the SAP investigations and indicate how the hearings would be managed. Helen Wilson had been appointed as the independent Programme Officer. In response to a query, the Group Manager, Policy & Plans confirmed that all commentators and respondents to the SAP would be advised of the name and contact details for the Inspectors and Programme Officer and encouraged to contact the Inspection team.

Minute 64 Affordable Housing Benchmarks – The Chief Planning Officer had signed off the Benchmarks which would now form part of planning decision making process.

Minute 65b) Hot Food Takeaway Supplementary Planning Document – Following consultation with Panel Members on the definition of a proposed “exclusion zone” around schools, consultation had now commenced with schools on the favoured proposal – generally using two school entrances which had the effect of widening the scope of the boundary.

To consider the report of the Director of City Development on the Council’s substantive response to the Department for Communities and Local Government Housing White Paper – “Fixing our broken housing market”. Executive Board considered the matter on 19^th April 2017 and the Council’s response was sent to DCLG by the required deadline. This report provides the Panel with the opportunity to consider the response and make additional supplementary comments.

The Director of City Development submitted a report on the Council’s response to the Government’s Housing White Paper (HWP), entitled ‘Fixing our broken housing market’. The HWP was issued by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) on 7th February 2017 along with associated background papers and technical information.

Members noted that due to the requirement to respond to the consultation by 2^nd May 2017; Executive Board had considered and agreed a report including proposed responses to the 38 questions set in the HWP on 19th April 2017. Executive Board Members had commented on the need for the HWP to have more explicit regard for the Environmental Impact of housing development, as well as recognising the need for housing growth and delivery – these additional points were incorporated into the overall response which had now been submitted to DCLG.

The Panel was asked to make additional comments which could be sent to DCLG as supplementary comments.

The Head of Strategic Planning presented the report, outlining the wide- ranging scope of the material in the HWP and the related consultation and technical documents. Members noted the view that although it was felt that the HWP analysis regarding the failure of delivery in the housing market was considered to be accurate, the proposals flowing out of this did not go far enough to remedy the issues identified. In addition, the 38 consultation questions did not reflect the full range of concerns raised by the Council.

During discussions, the Panel expressed support for the response already submitted and identified the following responses for comment and further emphasis:

Q6) Co-ordination of development - The need to take a strategic and holistic view of future development, particularly in areas where there were a number of parcels of land in different ownership; and to encourage place-making rather than isolated developments. Co-operation between developers should be encouraged with a greater onus on the industry to take responsibility for delivery.

Q18c) Fees and awards of appeal costs – Considered appeal costs awards balanced with the need to incentivise the right kind of development

Q3a),12d) and 13a) Role of Small & Medium sized house builder firms – To provide innovation and good design in the housing stock. The Panel acknowledged that small/medium sized firms could provide a volume of houses, however further clarity was need on the mechanism proposed to support the Government suggestion that a percentage of a volume house build site could be given over to SMEs. Leeds placed importance on good design quality and the national designs often proposed by large firms were not of sufficient quality.

Q31) Starter Homes/Affordable Housing mix – Clarity was required on the mix and requirements within developments, noting that developers and builders would preference starter homes over affordable housing provision. Officers responded that that this would be reviewed as part of the Core Strategy and Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) work.

Q27) Starter and Completion Notices – Implementation and completion of developments were regarded as being equally important. One  ...  view the full minutes text for item 74.

To consider the report of the Director of City Development seeking consideration of proposed updates to the Local Development Scheme (LDS) May 2017 prior to the revised Scheme being published on the Council’s website.

The Panel considered a report on proposed updates to the Council’s Local Development Scheme (LDS) programme prior to it being published on the Council’s website. The proposed revisions reflected the need to make adjustments to the programme milestones and targets having regard to public consultation; technical requirements; additional programme injections (such as the Core Strategy Selective Review) and also the progress of the Neighbourhood Plans.

A copy of the LDS was attached as Appendix 1 of the report which included a work programme for the Policy and Plans Group. The Group Manager, Policy & Plans, introduced the report and requested an amendment to the recommendation to better reflect the existing delegation arrangements for the Chief Planning Officer as follows: “Development Plan Panel is requested to consider the contents of this paper and subject to any revisions, recommend to the Chief Planning Officer that it be adopted by the Council and be placed on the Council’s website”.

A draft copy of the Leeds Local Plan Newsletter was tabled at the meeting for reference.

Discussion covered the following aspects of the LDS

·  The number of Neighbourhood Planning Documents in development

·  Whether it would be timely to review the “Neighbourhoods for Living” Supplementary Planning Document, last updated in 2014.

·  Leeds Bradford International Airport SPD and whether this would reference local transport infrastructure

·  The anticipated timeframe for the Site Allocations Plan considering the number of representations likely to be considered

·  The Hot Food Takeaway SPD and the need to reference internet app delivery services

The Panel also discussed the Neighbourhood Plans (NP) currently in development and noted a comment that it would be useful to undertake a mapping exercise to indicate those in development and those areas which had not yet started the process. The Panel was assured that officer support was available to support those areas seeking to establish a Plan but without the capacity to complete the process. Additionally continued liaison with areas which had completed the process was crucial, noting that those areas with NPs were entitled to 25% CIL funding where development occurred within the relevant neighbourhood area.

The following comments were made in respect of the Newsletter itself:

·  It was a useful tool providing the public with a snapshot of how Leeds’ Plans and planning documents fit together,

·  ‘72% of our annual targets’ should indicate the annual target figure

·  The frequency of publication. Officers reported that, once agreed, the Newsletter would be made available to all respondents to the Site Allocations Plan process and be available on the LCC website.

·  Noting that the newsletter will be available in paper format, a review of the web links included was required.

RESOLVED – Having considered the contents of the report and the Leeds Local Plan Newsletter, the Development Plan Panel agreed that they be placed on the Council’s web-site, subject to the revisions detailed above.

To be confirmed.

RESOLVED – To note the provisional date of the next meeting as 13^th June 2017