Agenda and minutes

The following individuals addressed the meeting. Copies of their statements have been appended to the minutes.

·         Pascale Muir

·         Councillor Mark Coletta

·         William Critchley

·         Dr Jean Johnson

·         Councillor Jane Gray (on behalf of Ashdon Neighbourhood Plan)

·         Claire Russell

·         Allison Evans

·         Councillor Maggie Sutton (on behalf of Takeley Parish Council and Little Canfield Parish Council)

·         Councillor Geoffrey Sell (on behalf of the Liberal Democrat Group)

A number of written statements had also been received, and circulated to the members prior to the start of the meeting:

·         Val Waring

·         Councillors Judy Emanuel and Neil Hargreaves

·         David Rutter

·         Mike Marriage (on behalf of Stop the Warish Hall Development Group)

Councillor Gooding arrived at 19:07

To receive any apologies and declarations of interest.

Apologies for absence were received by Councillor Loughlin.

Apologies for lateness were received by Councillor Gooding.

There were no declarations of interest.

To consider the minutes of the previous meeting.

The minutes of the previous meeting were approved as a correct record.

To consider the Draft Uttlesford Local Plan 2021 – 2041 (Regulation 18) document.

The Interim Planning Policy Manager gave a presentation on the Draft Uttlesford Local Plan 2021 - 2041 (Regulation 18) Consultation.

The Chair provided introductory remarks and said that he recognised that the decision before members would be the most difficult made to date. Furthermore, whatever the choice, it would not be popular with everyone. He explained that the Local Plan needed to be right for both current and future residents, and it was important not to compromise the benefits of one of these group for the other.

He invited members in turn to ask their questions of clarification, and the following responses were provided by officers:

·         The documentation before the LPLG was a working draft and further evidence would be added before both Cabinet and Full Council met to review it. Officers had endeavoured to allow both members and the public to see as much as possible, as early as possible.

·         The Regulation 19 Local Plan would be substantially better and different than the current Regulation 18 draft Local Plan, as the consultation would allow officers to refine the Plan by incorporating the feedback received from community engagement. 

·         There would be an approximate six-month gap between the publication of the Regulation 19 Local Plan and the submission to the Secretary of State, as officers were required to process and format potentially thousands of consultation comments, as well as provide the Council’s response to each topic area. This would ultimately produce a report which would assist the Planning Inspector with their consideration of the Plan at the examination stage.

·         The timetable for producing the Local Plan was tight with little room for manoeuvre. However, officers were confident that it was achievable.

·         The Local Plan needed to demonstrate that the infrastructure policies were deliverable as well as compliant with the expectations of what could and would be delivered by developers. For example, there was evidence to suggest that a link road between Thaxted Road and Radwinter Road in Saffron Walden would have a positive impact on the town, and it would be expected to be built by a developer as an estate road through their site.

·         The housing allocations were calculated alongside existing completions and commitments up to 1^st April 2023. Given that there had been more housing granted after this period, officers anticipated an adjustment in the numbers for Regulation 19, with a likely reduction to the housing allocation.

·         There was also flexibility at the current stage of the Local Plan process for members to make a change in direction, in regard to site allocation, and this would not be prevented by any Planning process.

·         The distribution of non-strategic housing allocations in settlements classified as “Large Villages” in the Settlement Hierarchy could be done so through Neighbourhood Plans. If a village were to adopt a Neighbourhood Plan, then they could control where their residual requirements would be places, and it would be no longer the responsibility of the Local Plan to allocate and deliver these.

·         Following the adoption of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.