Agenda and minutes

Venue: Conference Room, Argyle Road, Sevenoaks. View directions

Contact: Email: Democratic.Services@sevenoaks.gov.uk 01732 227199 

Items
No. Item

11.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 69 KB

To agree the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 16 May 2017, as a correct record.

Minutes:

Resolved: That the Minutes of the meeting of the Advisory Committee held on 16 May 2017 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record, subject to the correction of a typographical error on the fifth line of Minute 6, amending ‘form’ to ‘from’.

12.

Declarations of Interest

Any interest not already registered.

Minutes:

There were none.

13.

Actions from Previous Meetings

Minutes:

There were none.

14.

Update from Portfolio Holder

Minutes:

The Portfolio Holder for Planning, reported that he would be attending Scrutiny Committee on 4 July 2017 and summarised some of the main topics he would raise:

 

·         Sevenoaks District Council’s planning department was the busiest in Kent with 2191 applications received in the year to December 2016;

·         the Council also approve the lowest number of applications at 88%;

·         100% of major applications were determined within 13 weeks. 88% of minor applications were determined within 8 weeks;

·         planning appeals dismissed were below the 75% target at 65% in 2016. In number terms, 82 appeals were lodged which was only 4% of applications;

·         the Enforcement team were going through a transition period and were currently managed by the Development Manager; and

·         the Local Plan and Local list were progressing, and in particular the Local Plan would be discussed in more detail later in the meeting. 

 

In response to a question, Members were advised that following the Grenfell Tower disaster, the Council was working with Kent Fire and Rescue Service and the DCLG to identify buildings which had similar cladding.  As the Council did not own any housing stock, work with the Housing Association partners was also being carried out. 

15.

Referrals from Cabinet or the Audit Committee pdf icon PDF 29 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chairman allowed reading time for Members to consider the tabled supplementary agendas.

Members noted the referral from Cabinet which requested the Advisory Committee provide a more detailed  recommendation on a model for the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Spending Board similar to that applicable to the current Development Control Committee.  The Planning Policy Team Leader advised that she had drafted a note which designed to assist members of the Planning Advisory Committee. This note made the following suggestions:  an explanation of the benefits for the proposed change in committee set up from a ‘pool’ style committee to a fixed committee and also details on the role of members and members conduct and a potential speaking protocol both based on part 7 of the Council’s constitution.

 

Members discussed a fixed membership of 19 members, which mirrored the same number of Development Control Committee. Members asked questions of clarification. In response Members were advised that the decision of the monetary allocations would be decided once all of the bids had been heard. This would include those that did not have any registered speakers as Officers would still introduce the item. A concern was expressed that there could be conflicts of interests with bids being within Members wards of towns and therefore wording in the protocol needed to reflect the whole district.

 

Members discussed how often the Board would meet and whether there would be a financial threshold before a meeting was scheduled to meet.

 

It was moved by the Chairman that it be recommended to Cabinet that the CIL Spending Board have a fixed membership of 19 Members and that Officers be delegated authority to finalise a draft protocol in consultation with the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Portfolio Holder for Planning and the Chairman of the CIL spending Board and that this be referred to Governance Committee and recommended to Cabinet.

 

The motion was put to the vote and it was

 

Resolved: That

 

a)   Officers be delegated authority to finalise a draft CIL spending Board protocol in consultation with the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Chairman of the CIL spending board;

 

b)   the draft protocol be referred to Governance Committee;

 

c)    it be recommended to Cabinet that the CIL Spending Board consist of a fixed membership of 19 Members; and

 

d)   the draft protocol be recommended to Cabinet. 

 

16.

Housing Strategy 2017 pdf icon PDF 63 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Housing Policy Manager introduced a report which presented the findings of the recent public consultation on the new Draft Housing Strategy. The strategy set out a series of strategic priorities, many updated from the previous housing strategy, under the following three headings: providing a good mix of decent and affordable housing across tenures; Improving the quality and use of existing housing stock; and meeting the needs of vulnerable and low income households.

 

Public Sector Equality Duty

 

Members noted that consideration had been given to impacts under the Public Sector Equality Duty.

 

Resolved: That it be recommended to Cabinet to recommend to Council to approve the Draft Housing Strategy.

 


17.

Local Plan Issues and Options pdf icon PDF 61 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chairman had agreed to exercise her discretion and allowed a member of the public to address the Committee.

The Strategic Planning Manager presented a report detailing the Issues and Options document which represented the first public consultation in the process of preparing a new Local Plan to replace the adopted Core Strategy 2011 and Allocations and Development Management Plan 2015. The document reflected other strategic documents of the Council in particular, the Corporate Plan, Community Plan and the housing and economic development strategies. Evidence for the consultation had been assembled over a two year period. An eight week consultation will be followed by a period when responses would be assessed and a draft Local Plan prepared for further public consultation.

 

Members discussed how the Place-Making areas would work and sustainability and infrastructure requirements for the District. In response to concerns raised Members were advised that the consultation would provide views of the public, secondary schools and stakeholders and a special edition of InShape in August would provide an easy to read non-technical summary of the Issues and Options document inviting a public response.

 

Public Sector Equality Duty

 

Members noted that consideration had been given to impacts under the Public Sector Equality Duty.

 

Resolved: That it be recommended to Cabinet that the Sevenoaks District Local Plan 2015 – 2035 Issues and Options document be agreed for public consultation.

 

18.

Work Plan pdf icon PDF 58 KB

Minutes:

The work plan was noted. It was agreed that the Local Plan Update would include the key milestones and that the consultation response would be added to the 23 November 2017 meeting. It was discussed when the next Local List would be brought to the meeting.

 

 

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