Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence, if any.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors M. Birleson, J. Bond, L. Brandon, L. Chesterman, A. Dennis, S. Kasumu, J. Ranshaw, T. Jackson-Mynott and H. Quenet.

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 17 November 2021 (previously circulated).

The Minutes of the meeting held on 17 November 2021 were confirmed as a correct record and noted by the Mayor.

To note declarations of Members’ disclosable pecuniary interests, non-disclosable pecuniary interests and non-pecuniary interests in respect of items on the Agenda.

Councillors S. Boulton, P. Hebden, T. Kingsbury, F. Thomson, S. Thusu and P. Zukowskyj declared non-pecuniary interests in items on the Agenda as appropriate as Members of Hertfordshire County Council.

Recommendations from the meeting of the Cabinet on 18 January 2022 on additional sites and further modifications to the Local Plan.

Members received a presentation from the Planning Policy and Implementation Manager on the Local Plan.

Members were reminded of the key stages of the plan’s preparation since 2009, including submission for Examination in May 2017, consultation on additional sites in 2019 and 2020, receipt of the Inspector’s Interim report in October 2020 and additional sites submitted to the Examination in November 2020.

At several key stages the Inspector had advised the plan was unsound as there were insufficient sites to meet the identified housing need. The Inspector had invited the Council to identify further sites to make the plan sound. The Inspector had concluded that the Objectively Assessed Housing need could be reduced from 16,000 to 15,200 (760 dwellings per annum). Should this plan be found unsound a new plan would be required to be prepared in accordance with the Government’s standard methodology which would require 875 dwellings per annum.

The Inspector has advised on the approach that should be taken to achieve a sound plan, including the importance of a 5-year housing land supply, a proportionate distribution, the need to increase the number of dwellings in several settlements and a proportionate delivery across the plan period.

Local Planning Authorities are required to ensure that when allocating sites there are at least 10 years’ worth of specific identified sites. It is possible for the last five years of the plan to be in the form of broad locations or an area of search.

Members noted that the Cabinet Parking and Planning Panel (CPPP) had considered the recommendations of officers at their meeting on 13 January 2022 and had unanimously rejected the officer recommendation. It was then proposed, and agreed, that the Council be recommended to revert to the additional dwellings submitted to the Inspector in November 2020.

The 2020 strategy of 13,277 was to meet, in the Council’s view, a housing need of 13,800 dwellings.  The strategy also sought the removal of several sites from the plan totalling 1,632 dwellings.  However, since November 2020 there had been changes that had affected this calculation, including increases in the windfall allowance and completions.  The 2020 calculation of 13,277 dwellings as a consequence should be increased to 13,702 to take into account these changes.

In November 2020 when the Council submitted additional sites to the Examination it also proposed the removal of several sites which included Symondshyde, Land west of Brookmans Park Railway Station, Land south of Hawkshead Road, Wells Farm, Northaw Road East, Land North of Northaw Road East and Barbaraville.

Cabinet, at their meeting on 18 January 2022, noted that the numbers had increased from 13,277 to 13,702, and agreed that sites that have been found unsound by the examination should be removed as well as a site which would be unlikely to be found sound if it was not required to meet local need.  Also, that following the Hearing Sessions, capacities at North east of Welwyn Garden City and South east of Welwyn Garden City should be revised.  Cabinet  ...  view the full minutes text for item 39.