Issue - meetings

Report of the Corporate Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance) on the Local Plan proposed alteration – additional sites.  The purpose of this report is to consider which new sites should be proposed to the inspector for inclusion in the Local Plan.

Members considered the report of the Corporate Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance) on the Local Plan proposed alterations – additional sites.  The report noted that the Council had submitted the Local Plan for public examination in May 2017.  The Inspector had advised that the Plan was found not be sound as submitted, as it does not meet the objectively assessed need for housing.  The Council therefore undertook a further call-for-sites exercise in January-February 2019 and consulted on all of the suggested sites in May-June 2019.

The purpose of the report was to consider which new sites should be proposed to the Inspector for inclusion in the Local Plan.  It also reported on the results of the Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment (HELAA) and the updated Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA). The documents had been published on the Local Plan website. 

It considered any policy implications associated with sites which are considered to be technically ‘suitable’ coming forward and the cumulative impact associated with combination of sites.

The report highlighted that there were a number of other scenarios to achieve a total of 15,952 dwellings.  It also discussed the approaches which would avoid all high harm to the Green Belt to achieve 14,958 dwellings; also made reference to maximise protection of employment land, delivery on all available sites and an alternative scenario which would retain existing sites in the Submitted Local Plan and only adds in new urban sites to achieve 13,994 dwellings.

Members received a presentation on the Welwyn Hatfield Local Plan

Site Selection Background Paper 2019, which included:

·         Introduction

·         Options

·         Government Policies

·         Preferred Strategy

·         Employment Land

·         Maps – showing the areas proposed and boundaries

·         Rural Areas – preferred strategy and categories

·         Inspector’s statement

·         Risks

·         Timetable

The Panel raised and discussed the following points:

·         Concern was raised in respect of ‘What is a sound Plan’ and that moderate to high harm to Green Belt should not be accepted.  Also why 16k homes being built in this area without sufficient employment – were these homes for people working in London?  Therefore contributing to pollution.

·         Members discussed the impact of the Government’s policy and how this had changed and how it will affect the delivery of homes.

·         HAT11 area not having a defensible green belt boundary.

·         The additional 90 homes proposed at Panshanger.

·         Is the development sustainable – Officers explained that the Council had a duty to co-operate and conversations have taken place with the neighbouring authorities; who indicated that they could not support any additional housing in their district/borough. 

·         It was also noted that at the last SOSC meeting the Committee agreed the Sports Strategy which includes a recommendation for a masterplan for Gosling Park to consider the future of sports provision including the ski slope.

·         The green corridor to be retained around the airfield site (Panshanger) due to its health benefits for the community.  Also protection of wildlife/natural habitat.

·         Members commended the phenomenal work that has been undertaken by the Head of Planning and his Team.

·         Comments were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 51