Agenda item

This report sets out the changes to the Bath & North East Somerset Core Strategy needed to address the examination Inspector’s concerns raised following the hearings which were held in January 2012.

The Council considered a report setting out changes to the Bath & North East Somerset Core Strategy needed to address the examination Inspector’s concerns raised following the hearings which were held in January 2012.

In addition to the reports circulated with the agenda, all Councillors and members of the public at the meeting received a copy of a composite replacement motion.

During the debate, Councillor Paul Crossley moved, seconded by Councillor Tim Ball, that the meeting continue until 11pm in accordance with Council rule 48. This was accepted by the meeting.

On a motion from Councillor Tim Ball, seconded by Councillor Paul Crossley, it was

RESOLVED to

(1)  Note the errata to the Council report listed in Schedule 1 of the composite recommendation and circulated at the meeting (unanimous);

(2)  Agree that the Core Strategy should be amended to enable an increase of around 10,200 jobs and 12,700 homes, including around 3,100 affordable homes, in B&NES between 2011 and 2029 as set out in Annex 1 of the report (unanimous);

(3)  Agree that each of the locations listed in Table 8 of Annex 1 of the report identified for development in the Plan period, and set out below are (voting shown in Notes below); -

a)  Land adjoining Odd Down

b)  Land adjoining Weston

c)  Extension to MoD Ensleigh

d)  Land adjoining East Keynsham

e)  Land adjoining South West Keynsham (south of K2)

f)  Land at Whitchurch

g)  Somer Valley area, with a change to strike the following words from the officers report at page 55, Somer Valley section – line 6 “around 2 or 3” and line 8 “All new sites are highly likely to be greenfield” in order to ensure these words do not influence Council’s decision to adopt the Core Strategy and/or pre-empt the Placemaking plan.

h)  Rural Areas, with a change regarding Policy RA1, to request that Cabinet investigate the current RA1 status of Clutton and to consider if it should be listed as RA2 and with a correction to the officer report, page 55, Rural Areas section, final sentence, to replace ‘5 years’ with ’18 years’.

(4)  Agree the necessary planning requirements in Table 10 with the inclusion of affordable housing targets in the ‘Land at Whitchurch’ section on page 69 of the report;

(5)  Agree the proposed changes to the following Core Strategy Policies as set out in Annex 2 of the report, as modified at (5) a) and c) below;

a)  B1(8): The Recreation Ground, Bath – adjoining the Central Area, at the Recreation Ground, and subject to the resolution of any unique legal issues and constraints, enable the development of a sporting, cultural and leisure stadium;

b)  CP.4: District Heating (unanimous);

c)  CP.9: Affordable Housing – with the proviso that the map designations are subservient to the site specific policies;

d)  CP.11: Accommodation needs of Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling showpeople  (1 abstention);

(6)  Agree the Schedule of Proposed Changes to the Submitted Core Strategy in Annex 3, as varied above and at resolutions (16) and (17);

(7)  Agree that the Schedule of Proposed Changes  in (4) above is published for consultation in accordance with the consultation strategy in Annex 4 of the report, along with the other locational options considered in Annex 1 of the report but rejected;

(8)  Agree that the Schedule of Proposed Changes in (4) above is forwarded to the Inspector for his consideration along with a schedule of all the comments received;

(9)  that the amended Core Strategy is approved for Development Management purposes;

(10)  that delegated authority is granted to the Divisional Director for Planning and Transport Development to make minor changes to the Core Strategy in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Homes and Planning to ensure clarity, consistency and accuracy across the Plan;

(11)  To request that Cabinet work with Bristol City Council and the Local Enterprise partnership to consider the feasibility of creating Park and Ride for the A37 at Whitchurch;

(12)  To request that Cabinet investigate all possible locations for a reopened Saltford station, including those locations with adequate parking facilities and which could also be accessible to residents of East Keynsham;

(13)  To request that Cabinet consider a review of the Greenbelt to the south of the district, with a view to extending the Greenbelt to incorporate areas currently south of the Greenbelt boundary;

(14)  To request Cabinet begin immediate preparation of the Placemaking Plan in order to;

a)  Enable work to be undertaken with local communities and town and parish councils on detailed proposals to guide development locations agreed within the Core Strategy; and

b)  As a matter of priority, work in partnership with town and parish councils to identify appropriate development sites in the Somer Valley and RA1 and RA2 villages;

(15)  To request that Cabinet aims to maintain the rural buffer between South Stoke and Bath as a priority during the placemaking process for “land at Odd Down”;

(16)  Item KI.4 - Replace the words “Highways Infrastructure associated with the Somerdale Site” with  “New second road access to the Somerdale Site” in Annex 3, page 140 (Table 6 - Summary of Key Infrastructure in Keynsham); and

(17)  Item KI.6, (which will become new KI.5 as KI.1 has been deleted) - Reinstate the words deleted from this item -  “Improvements to Keynsham Train Station and Enhanced Service Frequency to Bath and Bristol”.

 [Notes;

1.  Voting on sites listed in resolution (3) above as follows;

a.  Land adjoining Odd Down – 35 Councillors voting in support, 6 Councillors abstaining, the following 19 Councillors voting against; Nicholas Coombes, Andy Furse, Neil Butters, Sharon Ball, Lorraine Morgan-Brinkhurst, Caroline Roberts, Nigel Roberts, Katie Hall, Jeremy Sparks, Steve Hedges, June Player, Dave Laming, Martin Veal, Francine Haeberling, Charles Gerrish, Marie Longstaff, Geoff Ward, Alan Hale, David Veale.

b.  Land adjoining Weston – 41 Councillors voting in support, 4 Councillors abstaining (including Councillor Neil Butters), the following 15 Councillors voting against; Gerry Curran, Nicholas Coombes, Nigel Roberts, Steve Hedges, June Player, Doug Deacon, Dave Laming, Malcolm Lees, Martin Veal, Patrick Anketell-Jones, Brian Webber, Colin Barrett, Gabriel Batt, Geoff Ward, Anthony Clarke.

c.  Extension to MoD Ensleigh – 55 Councillors voting in support, 0 abstentions and the following 4 Councillors voting against; Gabriel Batt, Colin Barrett, Geoff Ward, Martin Veal.

d.  Land adjoining east Keynsham – 50 Councillors voting in support, 0 abstentions and the following 7 Councillors voting against; Peter Edwards, Charles Gerrish, Marie Longstaff, Francine Haeberling, Brian Simmons, Kate Simmons, Alan Hale.

e.  Land adjoining south west Keynsham – 44 Councillors voting in support, 0 abstentions and the following 13 Councillors voting against; Rob Appleyard, Robin Moss, John Bull, Eleanor Jackson, Liz Hardman, Marie Longstaff, Peter Edwards, Sally Davis, Brian Simmons, Kate Simmons, Alan Hale, Francine Haeberling, Charles Gerrish.

f.  Land at Whitchurch – 48 Councillors voting in support, 2 abstentions and the following 10 Councillors voting against; Nicholas Coombes, Peter Edwards, Charles Gerrish, Marie Longstaff, Alan Hale, Colin Barrett, Liz Richardson, Sally Davis, David Veale and Brian Simmons.

g.  Somer Valley area – unanimous.  A minor adjustment to the wording as underlined in resolution 3 g) above was proposed by Councillor Chris Watt and accepted by the mover and seconder of the motion. 

h.  Rural Areas – unanimous.  A minor adjustment to the wording as underlined in resolution 3 h) above was proposed by Councillor Jeremy Sparks and accepted by the mover and seconder of the motion.  A further adjustment to the wording as set out in bold in resolution 3 h) above was proposed by Councillor Vic Pritchard and accepted by the mover and seconder of the motion.

2.  Resolution (4) above includes underlined wording requested by Councillor Nicholas Coombes and accepted by the mover and seconder of the motion.  Voting – 54 Councillors voting in support, 0 abstentions and the following 3 Councillors voting against; Councillors Nicholas Coombes, Nigel Roberts, Alan Hale.

3.  Resolution (5) a) above contains an underlined word suggested by Councillor Manda Rigby and accepted by the mover and seconder of the motion.  Voting – 50 Councillors voting in support, 6 abstentions (including Councillor Dave Dixon) and the following 3 Councillors voting against; Alan Hale, Gabriel Batt, Barry Macrae.  An unsuccessful amendment to the wording to replace the words “sporting, cultural and leisure arena” with the words “new stadium” was moved by Councillor Brian Webber, seconded by Councillor Patrick Anketell-Jones, but not passed.

4.   A minor amendment to the wording to resolution (5) c) above was proposed by Councillor Nicholas Coombes and accepted by the mover and seconder of the motion.  Voting – 51 Councillors voting in support, 0 Councillors voting against and 7 abstentions.

5.  An unsuccessful amendment was moved by Councillor Eleanor Jackson, seconded by Councillor Robin Moss, to resolution (5) c) above to amend the wording of CP.9 Affordable Housing (page 76) to read ‘Affordable housing will be required as on-site provision in developments of 10 dwellings or 0.5 hectares and above (the lower threshold applies).  An average affordable housing percentage of 35% will be sought on these large development sites.  This is on a grant free basis with the presumption that on-site provision is expected.  Table 10 to be amended accordingly.’  This was not carried with 47 Councillors voting against, 7 Councillors voting in support and 5 Councillors abstaining.

6.  Resolution (11) above was proposed by Councillor Tim Warren and accepted by the mover and seconder of the motion.

7.  Resolution (12) above was proposed by Councillor Francine Haeberling and accepted by the mover and seconder of the motion.

8.  Resolution (13) above was proposed by Councillor Vic Pritchard and accepted by the mover and seconder of the motion.

9.  Resolution (14) above was proposed by Councillor Geoff Ward and accepted by the mover and seconder of the motion.

10.Resolution (15) above was proposed by Councillor Katie Hall, seconded by Councillor Neil Butters and accepted by the mover and seconder of the motion.

11.Resolution (16) and (17) above were proposed by Councillor Charles Gerrish and accepted by the mover and seconder of the motion.

12.Voting on resolutions (6) – (17); all Councillors voted in support, except for Councillors Nicholas Coombes and Alan Hale who voted against.