Agenda item

To receive and consider the attached report of the Chief Planning Officer

  The Head of Forward Planning and Implementation outlined the proposed time table for taking forward the Draft Site Allocations Plan (SAP), with a report to Executive Board in Summer and then to out to public consultation in Autumn 2015

  The need for a SAP was stressed in terms of being able to plan positively for Leeds rather than leaving it vulnerable to poorly co-ordinated development

  Members then considered a report of the Chief Planning Officer which provided an update on monitoring the evidence base of the Adopted Core Strategy and explored whether the latest evidence – the 2012-based household projections - warranted a fundamental review of the Core Strategy

  The report outlined the following issues:

·  the need to plan for population growth

·  government guidance

·  the latest evidence

·  population and household projections

·  jobs and new homes

·  housing need and affordable housing

·  implications of undertaking a further Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) in terms of the Core Strategy

Members were informed that the 2012-based household projections maintained lower trends however the Council could not take a simplistic approach when considering the housing targets set out in the Core Strategy and needed to consider a wider range of evidence, with Government guidance and the Planning Inspectorate being clear that household projections were the starting point of considerations, not the end 

 The figures in the Approved Core Strategy were for 70,000 (net) new homes in Leeds and after examination of the Core Strategy, which included significant discussion of the 2012 population projections, upon which the household ones are based, the Inspector declined to lower the housing requirement and declared it sound as submitted.  Members were informed that the only way to revise a Core Strategy figure was by undertaking a SMHA which would mean preferred sites might not be released readily enough and could put at risk the PAS sites and designation of rural land.  The Core Strategy objectives could also be delayed.  However, if the Council proceeded with the SAP as previously agreed, measures would need to be put in place to address the issues in the latest evidence, through phasing, as set out in the separate report on the agenda and a selective review of the Core Strategy in the next three years

  Members undertook a detailed discussion on issues raised in the report, the main areas of debate relating to:

·  the housing figures in the Core Strategy and the unprecedented level of building which would be needed in Leeds to achieve these targets

·  the relationship between jobs and new homes and that many people whilst working in Leeds would reside outside of the City

·  provision of information and concerns that not all information held by Officers had been made available to Members

·  the approach being taken by Officers and concerns about a perception of a lack of transparency in the process

·  whether a 3 year review of the Core Strategy would be of use as sites needed to be allocated now

·  the importance of having a 5 year land supply in being able to resist inappropriate development

·  the need for a full and proper Green Belt review to be carried out

·  the data used to consider the housing target figures and whether this was the most reliable data which could have been used

·  issues relating to affordable housing; the chronic lack of affordable homes in Leeds and the difficulty in securing this when developers were not particularly interested in providing it

·  the need to reduce the housing numbers in view of the range of evidence coming forward to support a lower figure

The Chief Planning Officer advised that the level of housing required came from the Core Strategy and not the SAP.  In terms of the Core Strategy, it had been examined thoroughly at the time, and had undergone further consideration through the recent Kirklees Knowl planning appeal decision, with the Inspector confirming that the Council had an up to date plan and could demonstrate a 5 year land supply

Officers highlighted the need for the SAP to plan over the long term and the importance of retaining a level of certainty and stability in the plan proposals, recognising that new data published during the plan period could suggest a different position at different points in time. However, the Core Strategy figure remained and the Council would be judged against that 70,000 (net) figure until it had a revised, adopted figure.  It was the current figure which had to be planned for through the SAP

Members considered how to proceed.  In view of the number of

individual recommendations contained within the report before Panel these were considered separately

RESOLVED – i)To note the contents of the report and to

endorse the maintenance of the Core Strategy housing requirement as a basis for the Leeds Site Allocations Plan and Aire Valley Leeds Area Action Plan

Under Council Procedure Rule 16.5, Councillors J Procter, B Anderson, C Cambell and T Leadley required it to be recorded that they voted against this matter

  RESOLVED – ii) to support the continual monitoring of the evidence underpinning the housing requirement, as further evidence is made available and the updating of Development Plan Panel on a twice yearly basis of any meaningful and significant changes

  RESOLVED -  iii) to support a selective review of the Core Strategy within 3 years of its Adoption and following subsequent household projections, which will better reflect demographic trends of a recovering economy

Under Council Procedure Rule 16.5, Councillors J Procter, B Anderson, C Campbell and T Leadley required it to be recorded that they voted against this matter

  RESOLVED -  iv) To support wider Corporate mechanisms to co-ordinate the monitoring of changes to the population, household composition and economic growth of Leeds relating to wider Council services which depended upon demographic analysis and forecasting

  During consideration of this matter, Councillor J Lewis left the meeting