Agenda for Cabinet Planning and Parking Panel on Thursday 8th February 2018, 7.30 pm

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Campus East, Welwyn Garden City, Herts, AL8 6AE. View directions

Contact: G Paddan Email: democracy@welhat.gov.uk 01707 357349 

Items
No. Item

40.

SUBSTITUTIONS

To note any substitution of Committee Members in accordance with Council Procedure Rules 19 – 22.

Minutes:

The following substitution of Panel Member had been made in accordance with Council Procedure Rules 19-22:-

 

Councillor L. Chesterman for G. Hayes.

Councillor D. Bell for M. Perkins.

 

41.

APOLOGIES

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors G. Hayes and M. Perkins.

42.

MINUTES

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meetings held on 14 December 2017 and 11 January 2018 (previously circulated).

Minutes:

The Minutes of the meetings held on 14 December 2017 and 11 January 2018 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

43.

NOTIFICATION OR URGENT BUSINESS TO BE CONSIDERED UNDER ITEM 8

Minutes:

The Chairman agreed to accept the following item as urgent:

 

·         Consultation on the London Plan

 

The reason for accepting this item as urgent was that, to delay consideration of the item would mean that, if Council wished to respond to the consultation, time would not be available to do so if delayed until the next meeting.

 

44.

DECLARATION OF INTERESTS BY MEMBERS

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

 

 

Minutes:

Councillors S.Boulton and L.Chesterman declared a non-pecuniary interest in items on the agenda as appropriate by virtue of being Members of Hertfordshire County Council.

45.

PUBLIC QUESTION TIME AND PETITIONS

Up to fifteen 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.

 

 

Minutes:

The following two questions were presented:

 

Question to Planning Panel from John Jackson

 

What are you going to do to represent the interests of the residents, users and frequenters from across Hatfield, St Albans and further afield to ensure that the original Section 106 granted to benefit the area, following the building of the business park and housing estate, is enforced as soon as possible to secure the funds and set up the trust?

 

Question to Planning Panel from Cathie Edwards

 

What are you going to do for the residents to ensure that Herts CC follow through on the Development Control Committees decision of 25 January 2017 to only grant conditional permission for 12 months, which has now lapsed, to formerly lapse the conditional permission and force the developers to re-apply for permission?

 

Response to both questions from the Chairman,

Councillor S Boulton

 

The mineral extraction application referred to in the questions, which is the subject of a resolution to grant permission dated 25 January 2017 subject to completion of new and varied Section 106 obligations, is a County Council matter application. 

 

All questions concerning its final determination, including on any planning conditions or obligations binding on the mineral operator, should be addressed to the appropriate Development Management Officer, Mr Chay Dempster, at Hertfordshire County Council.

 

With regard to the setting up of the Ellenbrook Park Trust and any planning obligations on the landowner which arise from the original Section 106 agreement for the Hatfield Aerodrome redevelopment, discussions are continuing between Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, St Albans City & District Council, Hertfordshire County Council and the landowner to establish long-term landscape management arrangements for the Park area, taking into account the proposals for phased mineral extraction.  The landscape management proposals will be subject to public consultation in due course. 

 

Please be assured that Members and Officers of this Council will ensure that the issues raised in these questions form part of the ongoing discussions.

 

These discussions are also seeking to establish the best possible arrangements for the Trust in terms of timing of handover of the Park area and the financial contributions to support its management.  The Trust will be formally established once these arrangements have been agreed. 

 

Initiating formal enforcement action against the landowner for a breach of the original Section 106 obligations whilst active negotiations are taking place to resolve the outstanding issues is unlikely to be an advisable or productive course of action.

 

Should the current discussions not be progressed by the landowner or fail to reach a position which promotes a successful future for the Ellenbrook Park and the Trust, then the option of formal enforcement action will be considered again by this Council.

 

46.

DRAFT HERTFORSHIRE MINERALS LOCAL PLAN CONSULTATION DOCUMENT, DECEMBER 2017 pdf icon PDF 261 KB

Report of the Executive Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance) on the Hertfordshire County Council’s published Draft Minerals Local Plan document for consultation between 4 December 2017 and 9 February 2018.  Once adopted, this Plan will cover the period from 2016 to 2031 and replace the policies contained within its existing Minerals Local Plan (adopted in 2007) that covered the period between 2002 to 2016.

Minutes:

Report of the Executive Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance) on the draft Hertfordshire County Council’s (HCC) Minerals Local Plan consultation document which has been published.  The consultation to take place between 4 December 2017 and 9 February 2018.  Once the Plan is adopted it will cover the period between 2016 to 2031 and will replace the policies contained within its existing Minerals Local Plan which was adopted in 2007 and it covered the period between 2002 to 2016.

 

The report noted that HCC had previously undertaken an initial Mineral Local Plan consultation in 2015 and the Borough Council responded by expressing support on a number of points including the proposed site selection methodology (in principle).  The latest consultation was being undertaken under Regulation 18 of the Town County Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.  Its purpose was to seek views on the overall content, most sustainable locations for future development, proposed sites and development management policies.  HCC intends to produce a draft submission consultation version in the summer 2018 and submit it to the Secretary of State during winter 2018 and have it examined thereafter and adopted by winter 2019.

 

Officers advised that three sites had been identified for allocation for sand and gravel extraction and that these site were all located within the Borough to the west of Hatfield. Two of these sites had been granted planning permission subject to the signing of a section 106 agreement.

Members sought clarification on the number of truck movements to and from the quarry sites and the impact on the highway network together with potential damage to the highway carriages, which need to be maintained. Further consideration was given to the impact on nearby housing and future developments neighbouring the quarry sites.

 

It was noted that the response would be sent on 9 February and it was agreed to strengthen the proposed response and add the cumulative adverse impacts resulting from three sites located so close together and the consequential impacts on the highway network.

 

            RESOLVED

 

1.    That the Panel agrees to strengthen the proposed response to the Draft Hertfordshire Mineral Local Plan Consultation (2017) and include the cumulative adverse impact.

 

2.    That the Panel agrees that the final response be confirmed by the Head of Planning in consultation with the Executive Member for Planning, Housing and Community, in the absence of the Executive Member, the Chairman to be consulted.

 

47.

SUCH OTHER BUSINESS AS, IN THE OPINION OF THE CHAIRMAN, IS OF SUFFICIENT URGENCY TO WARRANT IMMEDIATE CONSIDERATION pdf icon PDF 113 KB

Minutes:

Members received a report which provided them with information on a Consultation on the London Plan, which covers the period 2019-2041.  The proposed response set out focused on those policies that have a direct impact on Welwyn Hatfield Borough.

 

The following main points were discussed:

 

·         The Strategic Housing Market Assessment for London has identified a need to build 66,000 dwellings per year.  65,000 a year can be delivered in urban areas so there is a potential shortfall of 1,000 dwellings.

·         Doubling of housing delivery in London would be required compared to average completion rates.

·         Council’s response to query how the plan intends to make provision for the extra 1,000 dwelling per year.

·         London intends to meet its housing needs by maximising the use of brownfield land, optimising densities, the intensification of outer London, more emphasis on small sites, redevelopment of car parks and retail spaces and the incremental intensification of existing residential areas.  Concern was raised in respect of tower blocks neighbouring the Borough.

·         Mayor of London to work with partners.  The Council welcomes this assertion of partnership working and strategic problem solving.

 

 

 

RESOLVED

 

1.    That the Panel comments on the proposed response set out within the report and agrees that the final response be confirmed by the Head of Planning in consultation with the Executive Member for Planning, Housing and Community, in the absence of the Executive Member, the Chairman to be consulted.

 

 

Meeting ended at 8.35pm

GP