Issue - meetings

To note the proposed New Communities Collaboration Partnership approach set out for any larger development sites in the forthcoming new local plan.

The Local Plan and New Communities Manager presented a report on the proposed new communities collaboration partnership intended to ensure, over the long term, that new communities within Uttlesford are co-designed with communities and brought forward in a timely way in line with the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) garden city principles.

The following comments were made:

·         Officers had met with just over half of the landowners and promotors/developers and none had outright refused it. Two had agreed the MOU in principle.

·         The Council had been advised by Dentons solicitors on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

·         It is a relatively innovative approach.

·         The origin of agreement came from discussion with officers and promotors in the previous Local Plan. This time the MOU is being presented to developers early in the process.

·         Number of dwellings in the appendix was not provided by the developer. It is made from assessment assumptions by the Council. The figures are theoretical and would not reflect the final numbers.

·         The draft vision was considered by Local Plan Leadership Group and approved at Cabinet on 20th May ‘21, however a member noted in the meeting that the vision was not forward thinking enough.

·         Members congratulated council officers on the success of community engagement in the initial consultation programme.

·         The Council would approach site promotors individually to sign up to the MOU, however the combined site meetings were to give opportunity for landowners and promotors to meet the neighbouring sites.

·         No decision had been made on sites in the greenbelt, they would be assessed without prejudice alongside all the other sites.

The Group supported the Memorandum of Understanding approach with landowners and promotors/developers.