Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr G Bull, Cllr P Fisher, Cllr J Toye and Cllr J Punchard. Cllr A Fitch-Tillett was present as a substitute for Cllr J Punchard.

To receive any questions or statements from members of the public.

None received.

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of a meeting of the Working Party held on 7^th August 2023.

The Minutes of the Planning Policy & Built Heritage Working Party meeting held Monday 7^th August were approved as a correct record.

Members are asked at this stage to declare any interests that they may have in any of the following items on the agenda.  The Code of Conduct for Members requires that declarations include the nature of the interest and whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest.  Members are requested to refer to the attached guidance and flowchart.

None received.

To determine any other items of business which the Chairman decides should be considered as a matter of urgency pursuant to Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

None.

Officer’s Report

The SCDO introduced the Officer’s report and recommendation.

With respect of Policy Context, the SCDO established the definition of a Conservation Area being area ‘of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance’. Section 69, Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. Section 69 further confirms the responsibilities of LPA’s to ‘review the past exercise of functions under this section and to determine whether any further parts of their area should be designated’. Section 71 of the Planning Act requires LPAs ‘to formulate and publish proposals for the preservation and enhancement’ of their conservation areas, and

Section 72 asks LPAs to pay special attention to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of the conservation area when exercising planning functions.

It was noted that funding had been received for the review of the Glaven Valley, with this Conservation Area identified early due to its 1980s designation, resulting in an increasing need for robust definition and understanding, and a requirement for an appraisal document to inform decision making. The review of the settlement designations, outlined in the Officers report, had been adopted, the final step in the current programme was to review the overlying Glaven Valley. The review has been undertaken in collaboration with the Council’s appointed consultants Purcell. Public consultation of the GVCAA was held between 21^st November 2022 and 31^st March 2023, including 3 public meetings. The feedback received from the consultation had informed changes made to the draft and proposed boundaries.

The SCDO confirmed that there were several areas proposed for exclusion from the GVCA boundary prior to the public consultation however, following feedback areas identified in Appendix 3 of the Officers report had now been retained / reinstated.

Amongst minor textual corrections raised in feedback, there had been several more major amendments to the appraisal including the Summary of Special Interest (P16-17) which had been significantly re-written post-consultation in order to better reflect the varied character of the GVCA. Due to the retention of the settlements within the GVCA, much of the text had been re-written to reflect this change. In addition, P71-79 provided a summary of each settlement and reference the individual appraisals for each one, and discussion of the North Norfolk Landscape Character Assessment (2018) had been added on P50-52.

The SCDO confirmed, subject to approval by the Working Party and Cabinet, that a three-week public consultation would be undertaken. Arrangements would include publication of the documents on the NNDC Website; invitation for comments; direct contact with properties affected by new boundary proposals which fall outside the settlement boundaries, and; notification to Parish Councils and those who had commented on the consultation previously. Rather than write to each household about the consultation directly, the Council would contact the relevant Parish Councils and ensure that notices of the consultation were placed in prominent public locations. Once the consultation had concluded, representations would be considered by the Conservation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33.

To receive an update from the Planning Policy Manager on Local Plan progress and communications.

The PPM advised the present position with respect of the Local Plan which had been submitted for examination, an Inspector appointed, and initial questions raised. The initial questions posed were matters of factual clarification ahead of the Inspector setting out the formal issues for examination. The questions raised and responded to by the Council related to matters of the Alternative Housing Target, Plan period and Nutrient Neutrality. A response was awaited from the Inspector.  No date had yet been set for the formal hearings, which the PPM considered would likely commence in the New Year. He reflected that the changing position on Nutrient Neutrality which may have interesting impacts on the Local Plan.

The Chairman commented that it was challenging time for those Local Authorities who had paused Local Plan making, with information coming from central government that there ‘may be consequences’, NNDC were not affected by this issue, having submitted its Local Plan earlier in 2023. The Chairman reflected that there may series of prospective changes because of revisions to the NPPF and the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill.

             To pass the following resolution (if necessary):

“That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A (as amended) to the Act.”

None.