Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed all in attendance to the meeting, including Councillor Yeadon who was attending as a substitute for Councillor Gruen.

To receive any apologies for absence from the meeting.

Apologies for absence from the meeting were received on behalf of Councillors Gruen, Ogilvie and Parnham. 

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the Development Plan Panel meeting held on 6^th January 2009.

RESOLVED-  That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 6^th January 2009 be approved as a correct record.

The Housing Challenge: The Yorkshire and Humber Plan – 2009 Update (Minute No. 28 refers)

Having discussed the number of responses which had been received by the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Assembly in relation to the informal consultation exercise undertaken on the 2009 update of the Yorkshire and Humber Plan, the Panel was advised that as part of a related inquiry, the Assembly had invited representatives of the Council to attend a meeting on 13^th March 2009 to discuss matters concerning the housing market and housing provision.

Members noted that the arrangements for the meeting would be forwarded to those interested in attending.

To consider the report of the Director of City Development providing an update on the overall progress made, the technical work underway and the anticipated development of the documents which will lead to their eventual submission and Independent Examination.

A report was submitted by the Director of City Development providing an update on the progress which had been made in relation to the Natural Resources and Waste Development Plan Document (NRWDPD), detailing the outcomes from the ‘Issues and Alternative Options’ stage of the process and outlining the future proposals which would eventually lead to the document’s submission and independent examination.

The Panel noted that a consultation exercise had been undertaken as part of the ‘Issues and Alternative Options’ stage and that the results from that exercise had been incorporated into a ‘consultation report’ prepared on behalf of the Council by Jacobs Engineering UK Limited. The report, which also provided details of the methodology used and the lessons learned from the consultation process was appended to the covering report for Members’ information.

Having received a brief presentation from Jenny Williams and Alice Martin of Jacobs Engineering UK Limited, which summarised the key points within the consultation report, a question and answer session then ensued. The main areas of debate were as follows:-

·  The Panel received clarification regarding the arrangements in place when formally submitting the NRWDPD for independent examination;

·  Members discussed the range and variety of responses which had been received, and highlighted the need for the report to emphasise that responses from individual Councillors were not necessarily representative of the Council as a whole;

·  The Panel noted that a number of statutory consultees had not provided responses in relation to several key themes and recommended that where no responses  had been received, opinions were sought from such organisations in order to gain a clear indication of their views;

·  With regard to the data arising from the Natural Resource Flow Analysis and Ecological Footprint exercise, Members sought clarification around the classification of land use across the city and the geographical area covered by the exercises;

·  Members suggested that the issue of housing emissions was included as part of any further analysis exercise;

·  The Panel received an update on the number of responses received from neighbouring local authorities, and noted the differing stages that those authorities were at in terms of developing their own respective NRWDPDs;

·  Members sought clarification on the way in which all comments received, particularly those from the eleven supermarket exhibitions, had been presented within the consultation report;

·  The Panel invited officers to ensure that where appropriate all relevant documentation related to the current Ward boundaries;

·  Members made enquiries into the ways in which future related consultation exercises could be improved, how a wider and more geographically diverse section of the population could be involved and whether the views of those communities who may be particularly affected by the NRWDPD could be specifically sought;

·  The Panel discussed the extent to which the ongoing consultation exercises being undertaken in relation to the potential options for future waste management systems were being incorporated into the NRWDPD development process;

·  Members highlighted the importance for the views of all Parish and Town Councils in the area to be sought on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35.

1.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 7^th April 2009 in the Civic Hall, Leeds

Tuesday, 7^th April 2009 at 1.30 p.m. in the Civic Hall, Leeds.