Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed all to the meeting.

On behalf of the Panel, the Chair paid tribute to Councillor Mulherin and Arif for all their efforts throughout their time on the Development Plan Panel, and welcomed Councillor Hayden and Councillors Brooks to the Panel. The Chair then congratulated Councillor Arif and Councillor Hayden on their new positions as Executive Members of Leeds City Council.

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 refusal.

There was no exempt information.

Agenda Item 7 – Leeds Site Allocations Plan – Submission of 39 Proposed Main Modifications to the Leeds Site Allocations Plan for reconsideration by the Secretary of State

With the agreement of the Chair, a late item of business was admitted to the agenda entitled, ‘Leeds Site Allocations Plan – Submission of 39 Proposed Main Modifications to the Leeds Site Allocations Plan for reconsideration by the Secretary of State’.

It was deemed appropriate that a report to come to Panel as a late paper due to the need to fully consider all representations received following the end of the consultation period on 16 February 2021, and in order to ensure that Panel Members received the most up to date information as possible, the report was not included within the agenda as originally published on Monday 22^nd February 2021. The matter was being considered at this meeting, to enable the Panel’s comments and recommendations to be made available for consideration at Executive Board on 17^th March 2021 (Minute No. 58 refers)

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 Councillor R Finnigan.

To agree the minutes of the previous meeting held Tuesday 19^th January 2021, as a correct record.

RESOLVED-  That the minutes of the Development Plan Panel meeting held on 19 January 2021, be approved as an accurate record.

To consider the report of the Chief Planning Officer that seeks endorsement from Panel Members to recommend to Council that the 37 proposed Main Modifications to the remitted part of the Site Allocations Plan be submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination.

(REPORT TO FOLLOW)

Further to the minutes of the meeting held 11^th December 2020, the Chief Planning Officer submitted a report which informed Panel Members of the representations received as part of the Main Modifications to the Site Allocations Plan Remittal consultation 5^th January to 16^th February 2021, and outlined the Council’s proposals in response.

With the agreement of the Chair, the submitted report had been circulated to Panel Members as a late item of business prior to the meeting for the reasons as set out in section 4.5 of the submitted report, and as detailed in Minute No. 54.

The following information had been appended to the submitted report:

o  39 Main Modifications to the remitted part of the SAP (Appendix 1)

o  A Sustainability Appraisal Addendum (Appendix 2)

o  An Addendum to the SAP Report of Consultation (Appendix 3)

o  An Addendum to the SAP Habitat Regulations Assessment (Appendix 4)

o  A background paper containing evidence in support of the Council’s approach having taken into account the views of representors (Appendix 5)

o  Evidence in support of the submission

The Principle Planner (Local Plans) presented the report, noting that 441 duly made representations had been received from 249 respondents, 382 in support of the Council’s proposals, 49 objecting and 10 neutral. It had also been confirmed that:

·  3 representations had been received after the consultation period ended;

·  284 of the representations received related to sites in the Aireborough HMCA, with 281 representors supporting proposals to retain those sites as greenbelt;

·  76 representations received related to all of the proposed sites, with 94 in support of the proposals, 22 objecting and 10 neutral;

·  The supportive representors comprises members of the public, community representatives, as well as a number of locally elected Members;

·  The objectors to the Council’s approach were principally developers, house builders or their agents;

·  The majority of the representations received, supported the Council’s approach to retain 37 sites as greenbelt land;

·  The headlined issues of those objecting included:

o  An imbalanced spatial distribution with Core Strategy Policy SP7 not being delivered;

o  An overreliance of brownfield sites in the city centre and inner areas;

o  Delivery and viability of city centre sites and impact on land supply

o  Effects of COVID-19;

o  Housing mix;

o  Loss of affordable housing in outer areas;

o  The loss of school provision in the outer areas, and provision in the city centre and inner areas;

o  The status of safeguarded land;

o  Exceptional circumstances for the allocation of 37 sites could be demonstrated when housing distribution, affordable housing, housing mix and school capacity were taken as a whole;

o  Issues had been raised in relation to specific sites HG1-250 and MX238.

·  Comments were received from a number of statutory consultees and raised no objection to the proposed Main Modifications;

·  148 representations were made to the SA Addendum; subsequent amendments have been made to include the assessment of Option 4 including Barrowby Lane.

In relation to mixed housing and employment site MX2-38,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 58.

The report of the Chief Planning Officer provides the draft material for the forthcoming Local Plan Update public consultation and sets out the proposed scope for the Local Plan Update, with a focus on new or revised planning policy to help further address the climate emergency. The report seeks endorsement to commence consultation on the proposed scope of the Local Plan Update contained within the consultation documents at Appendix 1 and 2.

(Report attached)

The Head of Strategic Planning advised the Panel that since publication of the agenda, additional information including, changes to Government Guidance and Building Regulations has come to light. Given the importance for plans to be in conformity with national guidance, officers will need to consider the implications of “nearly zero carbon” on the material in the papers and standards for new developments within Leeds and the role of the planning system. It was therefore deemed appropriate that Panel Members be asked to consider any updated Local Plan Update material as a whole at a future meeting.

The Chair proposed that the item be deferred, this proposal was seconded and on being put to the vote the motion was passed.

The report of the Chief Planning Officer informs Members of the Government’s consultation on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework. The NPPF text has been revised in response to the Building Better Building Beautiful Commission (BBBBC) ‘Living with Beauty’ with additional changes to the text of the NPPF following on from the Government’s White Paper ‘Planning for the Future’ consultation 2020. The report sets out an initial draft response to the changes proposed.

(Report attached)

The report of the Chief Planning Officer informed Panel Members of the Government’s technical consultation on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which opened on 30^th January with the closing deadline of 27^th March 2021. The report outlines the initial draft response from the Council, on the proposed changes.

The NPPF text has been revised in response to the Building Better Building Beautiful Commission (BBBBC) ‘Living with Beauty’ with additional changes to the text of the NPPF following on from the Government’s White Paper ‘Planning for the Future’ consultation 2020.

The Principal Planner (Policy and Plans) introduced the report, setting out some key headlines. Members were informed that two areas of the Government’s consultation included seeking views on changes to the NPPF, and seeking views on the draft National Model Design Code (NMDC). It was noted that it is not a full review of the NPPF, and does not reflect wider planning reform set out in the ‘Planning for the Future’ White Paper; the Council are of the opinion that there is a missed opportunity in reviewing the whole of the NPPF.

Leeds City Council considers that there are 5 key areas that the response to the consultation should focus on. Relating to 1) achieving well designed places, 2) the presumption in favour of sustainable development, 3) climate change, 4) flood risk and 5) the use of Article 4 directions. Most of the proposed changes relate to:

·  The quality and design of new development;

·  Strengthening environmental policies;

·  Clarify policy in response to legal case law and make minor factual changes to remove out of date text; and

·  Updating guidance on the use of Article 4 directions.

The Principle Planner (Local Plans) provided an update on the Draft NMDC, explaining that detailed guidance on the production design codes are provided as well as guides and policies to promote successful design. Officers consider the NMDC as a positive document, and will help support Leeds to achieve good design across all developments; the document reflects similar content in the ‘Neighbourhood for Living’ SPD and area specific planning guidance.

The Council consider areas that the NMDC could be strengthened, particularly in relation to:

·  Locally specific guidance based on ‘area types’. It was noted that for Leeds, the ‘area types’ would include a wide variety of diverse neighbourhoods;

·  Addressing climate change and making reference to methods such as sustainable construction and energy use;

·  Examples in the document not being considered as being appropriate in the Leeds context;

·  Doesn’t factor in all of the challenges Leeds face when trying to achieve good design across all sites, such as viability.

The Panel were informed that the Government have invited expressions of interest from local planning authorities to take part in the testing of the NMDC, and Leeds are preparing material for a bid to this process. The Leeds bid focuses on the area type approach, and how communities are involved in that process. The Panel will be updated on whether  ...  view the full minutes text for item 60.

To note the date and time of the next meeting as Tuesday 11^th May 2021, at 1:30 pm.

RESOLVED – To note the date and time of the next meeting as Tuesday 11^th May 2021, at 1.30 pm.

(The meeting concluded at 15:30)