Agenda item

The report of the Chief Planning Officer considers a current Government consultation in relation to 3 areas of the planning process. The consultation focuses on three main areas;

•  Supporting housing delivery through a new national permitted development right for the change of use from the Commercial, Business and Service use class to residential.

•  Supporting public service infrastructure through the planning system.

•  Consolidation and simplification of existing permitted development rights

For each of these 3 areas a number of questions are set out for consultation response. This report provides a summary of each of the 3 areas, with an overall response. Appendix 1 lists consultation questions and detailed responses. 

The report of the Chief Planning Officer informed Members of a current Government consultation on proposed measures to support housing delivery, economic recovery and public service infrastructure. For each of the areas, a number of questions have been set out for consultation response. The consultation focused on three main areas and all relate to permitted development rights:

Ø  Supporting housing delivery through a new national permitted development right for the change of use from the Commercial, Business and Service use class to residential.

Ø  Supporting public service infrastructure through the planning system.

Ø  Consolidation and simplification of existing permitted development rights.

Appended to the report included a draft response from the Local Planning Authority.

The Principal Planner (Policy and Plans) introduced the report and informed the Panel that the consultation is open until 28 January 2021. Members heard the changes relate to the high street and widening of permitted development rights to allow greater flexibility to change uses within town centres, consolidates changes to existing wide ranging permitted development rights and also around Covid-19 and the provision of public infrastructure.

An overview in terms of each of the areas was provided, and the following information had been highlighted:

New ‘E’ use Class

·  This was introduced as of 1 September 2020 and includes retail, restaurant office, financial/professional services, indoor sports, medical and nursery uses;

·  Questions set out in the consultation relate to conditions applying to widening of permitted development rights to residential use, including appropriate size restrictions, where the right should apply and local consideration through prior approval;

·  Section 106 agreements and affordable housing, concerns remain where a permitted development application would not consider these;

·  The impact on current permitted development rights in terms of the uptake in retail – there had only been 22 schemes since 2013, and for the loss of office to residential – 97 applications, 3,877 units since 2013.

Supporting public service infrastructure

·  Focuses on proposed planning reforms to speed up the delivery of schools, colleges, hospitals and other NHS buildings, both for existing and new sites;

·  Seeks to ensure the expansion of existing sites are streamlined and creates a faster process for applications for planning permission;

·  Proposes to amend existing permitted development right to allow schools, colleges, universities and hospitals to expand their facilities by 25% or 250 sqm of their footprint of the current buildings on site;

·  21 day statutory public consultation period proposed to be reduced to 14 days – the Council are not supportive of this proposal.

Consolidation and simplification of existing permitted development rights

·  Proposed simplification and rationalisation of all permitted development rights to provide clarify and consistency with the new ‘E’ class, ;

·  The consultation response states that widening of other existing permitted development rights should be subject to further consultation.

Members discussed a number of matters including:

·  Emphasis of the concerns reflected in the consultation response in relation to the quality, design and living standards of housing schemes and the eligibility of affordable housing;

·  Emphasising the need that nearby greenspace resulting from developer contributions should be usable. Whilst it was acknowledged that Section 106 agreements were not considered through permitted development schemes, the consultation response should be strengthened around the requirements of usable greenspace;

·  Concerns raised regarding the protection of retail units and change of use to residential. . It was confirmed that the consultation response set out the Local Authority’s stance on protecting high streets and centres;

·  Viability of local town centres in relation to the pressures on the removal of retail units;

·  Concern about in inappropriate buildings changing use to residential;

·  Inadequate statutory public consultation period and the delay on planning permissions. The Chief Planning Officer outlined some of the key reasons for delays such as alignment with other public bodies, particularly in relation to school and transport infrastructure issues and other public bodies such as Health bodies and Homes England.

RESOLVED-

a)  To note the contents of the report and the appended draft consultation response