Agenda and minutes

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Contact: Linda Yarham  Email: linda.yarham@north-norfolk.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

37.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors N Dixon and N Pearce.  There were no substitute Members in attendance.

38.

PUBLIC QUESTIONS

Minutes:

Mr Berni Marfleet asked a question relating to the North Walsham Western Extension: Draft Vision Statement and Communications & Engagement.

 

Mr Marfleet stated that he represented Save Our Streets North Walsham, which was pleased to see that that issues they had been promoting had been taken up in the Consultation Draft, relating to objective 3 regarding the link road crossing the railway line into the industrial estate, a green corridor and traffic restraint on Aylsham Road and Skeyton Road.  He commented that the latter needed to be extended to include Skeyton New Road.

 

Mr Marfleet asked if there was a commitment to include the link road in the Deposit Plan and how it related to the highway infrastructure study, and the timing and financial viability of achieving it within the plan period.

 

The Planning Policy Team Leader responded that the Working Party had asked Officers to consider the feasibility of connecting the link road over the railway bridge.  This was part of the workstream for the North Walsham  Development Brief.  The Local Plan would go to examination at the end of the process, which would look at whether the legal processes and procedures had been followed, and the soundness of the Plan.  Soundness included an element of delivery so it was incumbent on the Council to provide a reasonable delivery strategy for all the proposals contained in the Plan.  The highway study was part of the processes and evidence base and would consider the feasibility and possible options for the link road.  This would feed into the Working Party for future discussion.

 

The Senior Planning Officer stated that he would cover matters relating to the Western Extension and link road in his report later in the meeting.

 

Mr Marfleet asked whether the transport assessment would be included in the Deposit Plan or if the assessment took longer, whether the Plan would be delayed or go forward without the full transport assessment having been completed.

 

The Senior Planning Officer replied that the timeline for the Local Plan was under review and there was a need to establish the components of the plan.  The highway study would feed into the policies and was not expected until early summer.  The Senior Planning Officer’s report would cover this matter later in the meeting.

39.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 238 KB

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of a meeting of the Working Party held on 9 December 2019.

Minutes:

The Minutes of a meeting of the Working Party held on 9 December 2019 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

 

Councillor Ms V Gay stated that the Planning Policy Manager had provided a full set of consultation responses following the meeting and wished to place on record her thanks to him.  She had now finished with the document and would place it in the Members’ Room.

40.

ITEMS OF URGENT BUSINESS

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.

Minutes:

None.

41.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

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.

Minutes:

None.

42.

UPDATE ON MATTERS FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING (IF ANY)

Minutes:

The Chairman referred to the resolution under Minute 34 of the previous meeting which requested him to write to the Highway Authority to express the Working Party’s dismay and growing frustration at its lack of co-operation in the Regulation 18 consultation.

 

The Planning Policy Team Leader explained that, with the agreement of the Chairman, a letter had not been sent as the Highway Authority’s full response had been received shortly after the meeting.  Subsequent meetings had been held with the Highway Authority to clarify outstanding matters and the Working Party’s concerns had been raised informally with them.  

 

The Chairman stated that any Member who wanted a paper copy of the summary of  Regulation 18 consultation responses could request one.

43.

Planning Policy - Monitoring Report 2018-19 pdf icon PDF 286 KB

Summary:

 

This report provides an overview of the main development trends in the District in the period 2018-2019 and measures performance against adopted Core Strategy policy and corporate objectives.

 

 

Recommendations:

 

For Information only.

 

Cabinet Member(s)

 

Ward(s) affected

ALL

 

 

Contact Officer, telephone number and email:

 

Rakesh Dholiwar, 01263 516161 Rakesh.Dholiwar@north-norfolk.gov.uk

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Planning Monitoring Officer presented a report giving an overview of the main development trends in the District in the period 2018-2019 and which measured performance against adopted Core Strategy policy and corporate objectives. 

 

The Planning Monitoring Officer presented the key findings in the Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) with regard to dwelling completions.  He stated that the number of planning permissions had dropped in the current year, which had repercussions for delivery.  The projection for 2020/21 was higher but this was not guaranteed and it could drop significantly depending on the number of permissions granted during the year.  He referred to the breakdown of dwelling types and stated that the majority of dwellings were 2 and 3 bedroomed properties.  It was intended to adopt the national space standards in the emerging Local Plan.  It was evident that some of the major developments did not fully comply with the standards and it had to be considered if some of the 3-bed dwellings were effectively 2-bed with a ‘boxroom’.

 

The Planning Monitoring Officer presented the findings in relation to population change, which indicated an ageing population in North Norfolk.

 

The Planning Monitoring Officer explained that the AMR would inform the new Local Plan and once the new plan was adopted, he would monitor how well the Authority was performing against it.

 

Councillor Mrs P Grove-Jones commented that granting planning permission did not necessarily mean that completions would increase.  There was a need to take into account the rate of economic growth, which impacted on delivery.

 

The Planning Monitoring Officer explained that granting planning permission enabled development to take place.  Without planning permission there was no mechanism for delivery.

 

Councillor Mrs Grove-Jones asked if space standards were mandatory, and if there were standards for external space.

 

The Planning Policy Team Leader explained that the Working Party had previously considered a background paper on space standards.  There would be a policy requirement in the new Local Plan for dwellings to be built to nationally prescribed space standards.  These standards were not included in the current Local Plan and developers were not at present obliged to meet them.   There were no space standards related to external space.

 

The Chairman asked if neighbourhood plans would be required to mirror the space standards once they were adopted.

 

The Planning Policy Team Leader explained that neighbourhood plans had to be in general conformity with the Local Plan and they could not set different standards.

 

Councillor Ms V Gay asked how the indicators were set and if they had been agreed by the Working Party.

 

The Planning Policy Team Leader explained that the indicators were set within the Core Strategy in 2008.  They were likely to have been considered by the Working Party and would have gone through the examination process.  The success of the indicators had varied over time.

 

Councillor Ms Gay referred to the requirement in the current Plan to ensure 40% of new dwellings had 2 bedrooms or less.  However, the cases of real  ...  view the full minutes text for item 43.

44.

North Walsham Western Extension: Draft Vision Statement and Communications & Engagement pdf icon PDF 296 KB

Summary:

 

This report provides an outline of the communications and engagement approach and the draft ‘Vision’ for the Western Extension

 

Recommendations:

 

To approve the Draft Vision for the Western Extension, and; note the update on the approach to communications and engagement.

 

Cabinet Member(s)

 

Ward(s) affected

All Members

All Wards

 

 

Contact Officer, telephone number and email:

 

Stuart Harrison, Senior Planning Officer – Planning Policy Team.

Stuart.harrison@north-norfolk.gov.uk 01263 516308.

 

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Senior Planning Officer presented a report which gave an outline of the communications and engagement approach and the draft Vision for the North Walsham Western Extension.  He explained that all options for HGV access were being explored, with access over the railway line via a northern or eastern route, and he anticipated that the best option would be determined on the basis of feasibility, viability and the cost of infrastructure provision.  The results of the evidence study were likely to be delayed until August as gas works were being undertaken in the town and it was necessary to conduct the survey in normal traffic conditions.  Work on the Brief would be progressed as quickly as possible and the Delivery Group would meet again once the first phase of the highway evidence work had been completed and discussions could begin to take place on emerging issues.

 

Councillor Ms V Gay requested that the Vision be strengthened to refer to highest design quality (core theme 5), highest environmental standards (core theme 1) and social, community and green infrastructure (core theme 4).  She considered that a dedicated webpage would be a good idea.

 

Councillor P Heinrich endorsed Councillor Gay’s suggestions.  He stated that he was very pleased with the Vision and supported the idea of three village-style developments which would allow for green corridors.  He requested more detail regarding an eastern link from Yarmouth Road.

 

The Senior Planning Officer explained that an eastern route had been considered in the past and there was a question of feasibility and the need to explore all options.  HGV movements in the town were impacted by three low bridges, the highest being on Aylsham Road which forced HGV traffic in that direction.  Initially it was necessary to understand the number and nature of HGV movements, the impact on the town and where they went, and then to consider how any significant issues could be addressed.  The northern route would require consideration of the suitability of the existing bridge for the volume of traffic and the measures that could be put in place to address any issues, including widening, raising or replacing the bridge.  There was a prospect of a possible eastern route from Norwich Road round to Yarmouth Road over the railway, which would require a large amount of land and infrastructure.  The consultants would carry out high level feasibility work on the costings of these options and other mitigation measures in the town.

 

Councillor Heinrich supported Mr Marfleet’s comment that Skeyton New Road should be included as it tended to be a rat run, with HGVs using very narrow lanes.

 

Councillor Mrs P Grove-Jones asked if the Highway Authority supported the vision.

 

The Senior Planning Officer explained that Highway Authority representatives were included in the discussions as they could provide expert technical advice.  The Highway Authority had issued a holding objection regarding the feasibility of delivery from a highway point of view and the vision statement would go some way to resolving that objection.

 

Regarding  ...  view the full minutes text for item 44.