Agenda item

CA/081/18       DACORUM SINGLE LOCAL PLAN 2020-2036: LOCAL DEVELOPMENT SCHEME

Decisions

1          RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND;

1. The adoption of the new Local Development Scheme (2018-2021) and;

2. That Council Authorise the Assistant Director - Planning, Development and Regeneration to make any necessary minor and non-consequential changes to the Local Development Scheme prior to its final publication.

2.         Resolved:

A Corporate Growth and Infrastructure Strategy for Dacorum be produced for consideration by Cabinet and Council at a future date.

CA/081/18       DACORUM SINGLE LOCAL PLAN 2020-2036: LOCAL DEVELOPMENT SCHEME

Decisions

1          RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND;

1. The adoption of the new Local Development Scheme (2018-2021) and;

2. That Council Authorise the Assistant Director - Planning, Development and Regeneration to make any necessary minor and non-consequential changes to the Local Development Scheme prior to its final publication.

2.         Resolved:

A Corporate Growth and Infrastructure Strategy for Dacorum be produced for consideration by Cabinet and Council at a future date.

Reason for decisions

To update members on the progress towards preparing Dacorum’s Local Plan and seek approval for an updated Local Development Scheme (LDS).

Corporate objectives

The Council’s Local Plan helps support all 5 corporate objectives:

·         Safe and clean environment: e.g. contains policies relating to the design and layout of new development that promote security and safe access;

·         Community Capacity: e.g. provide a framework for local communities to prepare area-specific guidance such as Neighbourhood Plans, Town / Village Plans etc.;

·         Affordable housing: e.g. sets the Borough’s overall housing target and the proportion of new homes that must be affordable;

·         Dacorum delivers:  e.g. provides a clear framework upon which planning decisions can be made; and

·         Regeneration: e.g. sets the planning framework for key regeneration projects, such as Hemel Hempstead town centre and the Maylands Business Park.

Monitoring Officer/S.151 Officer comments

Monitoring Officer:

Preparation of a Local Development Scheme (‘LDS’) is a statutory requirement. The LDS is a project plan which sets out the timetable for preparation of Local Development Documents (LDDs) that form the Council’s Local Planning Framework.

S.151 Officer:

The production and delivery of a single local plan and a local development scheme can be delivered within existing budgets provision.

Advice

Councillor Sutton introduced the item by outlining the issues involved in producing and maintaining the Local Plan and the Local Development Scheme.

The report seeks approval for the Local Development Scheme which sets out the Council’s timetable for the production of its new Local Plan.

Members will be aware that the Council undertook the first major consultation on the new Plan in autumn 2017 on the ‘issues and options’ facing the Borough in terms of dealing with new growth and development to 2036.

Consultation was extensive and included a series of public exhibitions staffed by both Members and officers. The response rate was very high and generated over 23,000 separate comments on the future of the Borough from around 2,000 residents and organisations.

A summary of the key issues arising from the Consultation held last autumn is at appendix 2 of the report to the Cabinet.

As the report explains, there is much further technical work to be done before the Council will be in a position to prepare a full, draft Local Plan which will put forward the amount of development to be planned for in Dacorum, and where the Council considers it best to be located.

The draft LDS is set out at appendix 1 of the report to Cabinet. The timetable proposes ongoing preparation work for the next 12 months before a full draft plan is brought back to Cabinet and then Council for consideration. Regular update reports to Cabinet will be provided over this period.

From here, the intention will be to consult with the public in August/September 2019, leading to the formal submission of the draft Local Plan to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government in February 2020.

The plan would proceed to public examination of the plan by an appointed Planning Inspector in mid-2020, with adoption of the Plan by December 2020.

The plan considers all forms of development, and will set out a vision and strategy for how the Council considers the Borough should be developed to 2036.

To assist this process, the report proposes an additional piece of work – the creation of a new Growth and Infrastructure Strategy – to take a long term look at the future shape of the Borough.

Separate from the statutory local plan process, the new strategy will provide the opportunity for the Council to set out high-level objectives for what it wishes to see happen in terms of new homes, jobs and the economy, tourism, transport, parks and open spaces and the digital and technology agendas.

The largest issue will be accommodating new housing growth, and the challenge of doing this will be very high given the Borough’s green belt constraints.

The report indicates that using the Government’s new standard methodology for assessing local housing need, the starting point for housing growth is at 1,049 new homes per annum – a considerable jump from the target of 430 per annum in the Dacorum Core Strategy which was adopted in 2013.

We are expecting the Government to release new household projection figures in September of this year which are expected to show a fall as population projections released earlier this year by the Office for National Statistics have reduced.

The Government has also indicated that it may revise its standard housing methodology which it first put forward in draft form in September 2017.

Whereas there is no published timescale for the roll out of the revised methodology, it is possible that it won’t be confirmed until early 2019 and as such we may not have full clarity on Dacorum’s local housing need until then.

Between now and next Spring, Officers will be undertaking a thorough analysis of potential development sites and preparing options for how much new development there should be, and where, for the Council’s consideration.

This is necessary to ensure that the process is sound and robustly based on evidence, and importantly in step with our confirmed local housing need level which we may not have until early 2019.

The Government is however clear that progress on Local Plans should progress and under the proposed timetable in front of Cabinet tonight, we are able to do this as clarity on our housing need level emerges over the next few months.

From the technical work that officers are doing now during that period, Members will be in a position next year to consider how to best allocate land for new development against the assessed figure of local housing need.

Cabinet will also note that there is a commitment between the Borough and District Councils in the south western part of Hertfordshire, along with the County Council, to prepare a joint strategic plan to address longer term growth pressures and the provision of strategic infrastructure.

Whereas a new joint plan will provide strategic direction for new development in south west Herts, each of the local planning authorities – Watford, Hertsmere, Three Rivers and St Albans in addition to Dacorum – will continue to prepare individual Local Plans which will confirm exact locations of new sites and the requirements they will make of developers.

This work is at an early stage, and officers will report on progress over the next few months.

Councillor Birnie then enquired about the status of the Grovehill Neighbourhood Plan (GNP): In planning terms how significant is it; and can it have a material effect on planning in the area. J Doe replied that the GNP is significant for individual planning applications and influences the strategic planning decisions for the area and its surrounds.

Councillor Birnie then went on to the composition of the SW Herts Authorities Group and its effectiveness as far as joint cross boundary development is concerned. He has the impression the our neighbouring authorities, particularly St Albans, are not being particularly co-operative and view Dacorum as the primary location for further housing development while opposing employment, business development on their boundaries. Councillor Williams was quick to point out that this is not the case and that all the surrounding authorities, including St Albans, are working in partnership and engaged in a sensible joint approach.

St Albans are in the process of releasing 75 hectors of land for employment use and are anxious to co-ordinate this with the authorities surrounding.

On a related matter, Councillor Tindall suggested that the Plan and any joint operations need to clarify that they relate to ‘east of Hemel Hempstead’ and not East Hemel Hempstead, which is solely the concern of the Borough Council.

Councillor Marshall then moved on to the timetable and the risk of Central Government delays in announcing its assessment Housing Needs delaying production of the Plan and leaving us vulnerable to pressure from developers. J Doe gave his assessment of the emerging picture; the flexibility of our approach and our ability to respond to and absorb changing criteria. He anticipates that central government decisions on planning and housing needs are due for publication in summer 2019.

The Cabinet returned to the ‘duty to co-operate’ features of the approach and Councillor Elliot asked who will arbitrate in cross-boundary matters. J Doe made clear that authorities have to be able to demonstrate evidence of robust discussions with their neighbours and produce a statement of common ground. This would be examined by the Planning Inspector in any Inquiry.

Councillor Birnie asked if the current plan is still fit for purpose and if we are at risk of a serious planning challenge due to the protracted length of time it takes to produce a new plan. J Doe reassured the members that we have to be able to evidence that the Council have made every effort to achieve and produce a new plan local plan and not be judged as dragging our feet. Councillor Williams agreed that our current local plan, though old in planning terms, is better than most and still relevant and effective.

Recommendations agreed.

Voting

None.