Agenda item

A briefing note is attached. Simon de Beer (Planning Policy and Environment Manager) will attend to answer questions on the following issues:

a)  Update on the Core Strategy

b)  Update on the Placemaking Plan

c)   Update on the Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Show People site allocations DPD

d)  Update on Neighbourhood Planning in B&NES

Simon de Beer (Planning Policy and Environment Manager) introduced this item which updated the meeting on progress with the Local Development Framework. He said that the Inspector’s recommendation that B&NES new housing provision would not need to be more than 13,000 had been welcomed. However, this figure cannot yet be used to inform planning decisions as the Core Strategy has not been finalised.

A representative of Combe Hay asked whether there would be any further statements of Common Ground regarding the green belt and was informed that most of the proposed statements were now complete and published. Simon de Beer was also asked whether he thought that developers would challenge the requirements for numbers of affordable housing. He replied that they already had done so through the November 2013 consultation and there was considerable disagreement on that score.

A representative from Ubley stated that their village currently only had infill developments within the existing housing boundary and asked whether they would have to provide more houses. Simon de Beer replied that, as Ubley is within an AONB, then the character of the village would be taken into account together with the rationale behind the Parish Council’s conclusions about extra houses. The AONB status does allow for some developments.

Councillor Tim Ball (Cabinet Member for Homes and Planning) commented that it was hard getting the Core Strategy together but there was now hope that it would get through the inspection process, enabling the authority to defend applications contrary to its provisions. Simon de Beer added that work was progressing on the Community Infrastructure Levy (which is a tax on development profits) and a more detailed report will come to June Parishes Liaison.

With regard to the Placemaking Plan, Simon de Beer informed the meeting that, of necessity, it had taken second place to the Core Strategy in recent months. He thanked the parishes for their assessments and said that the department has planned to respond to these by early April 2014. 

With regard to the Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Show People Site Allocations DPD, Simon de Beer informed the meeting that the options consultation would be sent out towards the end of 2014 with a draft plan to be published in 2015.  A representative from Compton Dando asked for re-assurance that this would not mean that B&NEs would go soft on enforcement and was not changing its attitude. Simon de Beer replied that now the authority has authorised sites, the government advice was not to approve planning permission in the green belt.  Lisa Bartlett added that each case would be taken on merit and that the general policy was to take a wider view of the need across the district – it may be that land will need to be taken out of the green belt to achieve that end. Officers were reviewing the case regarding enforcement. 

Councillor Tim Ball said that the authority currently has 2 pitches, but no transit pitches.  If the Lower Bristol Road application is successful, it would have 5 transit pitches which would ease the situation. Councillor Vic Pritchard asked whether green belt designation is removed when land is being considered for a travellers’ site and was informed that national policy states that if a site is to be used for the travelling community, then it should be removed from the Green Belt through the Plan-making process. Planning permission should not be granted on sites within the Green Belt unless there are very special circumstances. The authority preferred to allocate them through the Plan-making process. The Lower Bristol Road site emerged via the Plan-making process, but the planning application has come forward in advance of the finalisation of the plan. It will need very special circumstances for planning permission to be granted. If permission is granted, the land may subsequently be removed from the green belt.