Agenda and minutes

To note any substitution of Panel Members in accordance with Council Procedure Rules.

The following substitution of Committee Members had been made in accordance with Council Procedure Rules

Councillor R. Trigg for Councillor S. Boulton

Councillor T. Jackson – Mynott for Councillor J. Quinton

Councillor F. Wachuku for Councillor C. Stanbury 

Apologies for absence was received from Councillors S. Boulton, J. Quinton and C. Stanbury.

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 24 June 2021 (previously circulated).

The Minutes of the meeting held on 24June 2021 were approved as a correct record.

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

Councillor S. Thusu declared a non-pecuniary interest in items on the agenda as appropriate by virtue of being a Member of Hertfordshire County Council

Up to thirty minutes will be made available for questions from members of the public on issues relating to the work of the Committee and to receive any petitions.

The following question was received from Karen Winbow and the Chair responded with an answer provided by the administration:

“I refer to Jackie Warren’s question on 4 March 2021 relating to the cost of parking for NHS staff in the new Hatfield car park and in particular the response given as well as the next agenda item relating to parking restrictions being introduced in Hatfield.

Why do Council employees get free parking permits to park in Hunters, Campus West and Campus East and other car parks?  Over 400 free permits are handed out each year to Council employees and Councillors.  How does this encourage the use of sustainable transport such as buses, trains and walking? How can the Council justify charging NHS staff when they use the carpark for free?”

Response:

The council, like other employers, offers its staff and members free parking in our car parks when they are working or on council business. For a large number of our teams, using their cars is the only way of delivering essential local services in our communities such as food hygiene inspections, carrying out work on trees, or visits with vulnerable and elderly residents. If they chose not to come by car because of parking costs, we would be required to provide them with transport to keep those services going, which would inevitably be more costly.

We do encourage our staff to use sustainable modes of transport to get to work, and pool bikes and electric vehicles are both available. With the introduction of hybrid working in the future, there will be more staff working remotely and inevitably this means the number of staff cars in our car parks will be further reduced.

Report of the Corporate Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance) onsetting out Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council’s proposed response to a recent consultation launched by Enfield Council who are seeking to update their adopted Local Plan. The New Enfield Local Plan 2019 - 2039 (ELP) will guide future spatial development up to 2039, and beyond.

Report of the Corporate Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance) setting out Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council’s proposed response to a recent consultation launched by Enfield Council who were seeking to update their adopted Local Plan.

The report from officers highlighted several areas of concern with Enfield Council’s updated draft Local Plan. In addition, the report included a draft response to the regulation 18 consultation.

The draft Enfield local plan seeks to provide 25,000 new homes which is part of the London Plan requirement for 1,246 new homes per year until 2029, with this target carried on to 2039. If the draft plan was to be adopted, then only a third of Enfield’s local plan demand would be met.

Enfield did consider a higher growth option of 55,000 new homes, but this option was not selected as the preferred option.

The emerging local plan sees significant development in Crewe’s Hill on Greenbelt land, close to the Welwyn Hatfield border with 3000 homes with associated community and social infrastructure. The policy for Crewe’s Hill, and subsequent masterplan, will significantly reduce the greenbelt from approximately 3.5km to 1.1km between Cuffley and Crewe’s Hill. The Enfield Greenbelt assessment identifies this as “Very high” and “High” harm to Welwyn Hatfield.

The Enfield’s Local Plan is due to be published for consideration in the summer 2022. This will be followed by an examination period, with the aim for the plan to be adopted in 2024. The deadline to respond to this particular Regulation 18 consultation is 13^th September 2021.

Concerns raised by Northaw and Cuffley Parish Council’s around infrastructure are included in the draft consultation response. Hertfordshire County Council is expected to send their own representations.

No objections or amendments were raised by members to the proposed response.  However, the following points were raised and discussed:

1)               Clarification was sought over the density of the proposed plan due to the variation between standard method of assessment and what Enfield Council were proposing. Officers suggested that Enfield Council may not have chosen the higher growth option of 55 000 homes due to concerns about density. Instead, Enfield had chosen the ‘medium’ option of 25 000 homes. The density in the urban areas would be higher than in the proposed expansion at Crewe’s Hill, suggesting that Enfield Council was trying to achieve a blend of housing density.

2)    Member expressed concern about the viability of the Enfield Local Plan delivering the number of new homes required.  It was noted Enfield Council was seeking to plan for 732 dwellings a year which they are not being achieved presently. Officers advised that the next London Plan would have significant impacts on how Enfield Council further developed their plans.

3)    Members noted the infrastructure delivery plan and the impact on transport and traffic issues.

4)    Officers confirmed that this was the first consultation for the Enfield Local Plan when the preferred level of growth and spatial strategy for accommodating, and there would be further opportunities for the Borough Council to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

Member raised an issue from the 4^th March 2021 meeting over parking provisions for NHS staff. It was agreed that an update would be provided at the next CPPP.