Agenda and minutes

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

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

Items
No. Item

36.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 53 KB

To agree the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 14 March 2018, as a correct record.

Minutes:

Resolved: That the Minutes of the meeting of the Advisory Committee held on 14 March 2018 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

 

37.

Declarations of Interest

Any interest not already registered.

Minutes:

No additional declarations of interest were made.

 

 

38.

Actions from Previous Meetings pdf icon PDF 38 KB

Minutes:

The actions were noted.

 

39.

Update from Portfolio Holder

Minutes:

The Portfolio Holder for Planning reported that

·         central government was consulting on increasing the housing requirement in Sevenoaks District Council by 13%, from 12400 to 13960 over the twenty-year period.  Which equated to: from 620 per year to 698 houses per year.    He had a document which showed the comparison with other neighbouring authorities which he would ensure was circulated to Members.  However, to give an idea he advised that London Borough Bromley’s requirement had been increased by 123%; Wealden District Council by 1%; Medway Council by 128%; Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council by 23%; Tunbridge Wells by 7%; London Borough of Bexley by 79%; Dartford Borough Council by 33%; Tandridge District Council by 37%; and Shepway had decreased by 23%. 

 

·         Local Plan consultations on the four hundred sites, with local ward Members, had gone well, there was just one outstanding ward which had been written to that day.

 

·         Development Control had dealt with an increase of planning applications (a mixture of major and minor) from 1877 to 2061 over the year which was a 9.8% increase, and it was still the busiest planning department in Kent.

 

·         the timetable for the draft Local Plan would be circulated.  The June meeting would consider the draft Local Plan which would then be considered for approval by Cabinet on 12 July 2018 before going out to public consultation.  The report would include all the sites from ‘call for sites’ that had met the Council’s proposed strategy and would also contain all sites with potential exceptional circumstances. That meeting would not consider sites on a site by site basis, an additional meeting to the draft calendar of meetings due to be confirmed at Annual Council on 15 May 2018, was being investigated.  The date being looked at was 22 November 2018.  That meeting would look at the results of the consultation and would be the opportunity to consider proposals on a site by site basis, if required.  The Plan would then go to Cabinet for approval in December with formal adoption in 2019.

 

In response to questions he advised that it would be sites that had met the council’s criteria that would be put forward into the draft Local Plan.  There would need to be social and community benefits and the sites would need to be sustainable, so therefore issues such as road infrastructure would be considered.  Applicants could put forward the reasons they thought a site met the exceptional criteria and it would be up to Councillors to take the decision based on the evidence. 

 

The public needed to make their voices heard through the consultation.  Members were advised that it was very important that as many residents as possible were made aware of the consultation and encouraged to respond.

 

The Chief Planning Officer advised that reasons for support or objection to sites needed to be highlighted in the consultation feedback and the responses would be part of the formal record which would be submitted for examination together with the evidence baseline documents.

40.

Referrals from Cabinet or the Audit Committee

Minutes:

There were none.

 

41.

Local Plan Update pdf icon PDF 129 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Planning Policy Team Leader and Senior Planning Officer presented the report which provided an update on progress on the draft Local Plan. It covered joint working with neighbouring authorities and stakeholders organisations, under the ‘Duty to Co-operate’, including the development of two ‘Statements of Common Ground’ (SoCG). The report also provided an update on the Swanley Transport Study which is currently underway and the wider strategic transport evidence base. It also provides an overview of the Viability work which has recently been commissioned and the Infrastructure evidence base, including the Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP).  Members were advised that consultants had now been appointed to carry out the viability work, and the first meeting would be held the following week.

In response to a question, Officers advised that Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) boundaries would not be amended, but stakeholders could comment on it as part of the consultation process.  Enhancement as well as mitigation would be looked for in any development proposal.

Councillors Mrs. Morris and Horwood both advised that they had corrections they would like made to the facts within the Transport Study appendix to the report.

Action 1:  Officers to liaise, outside of the meeting, with Councillors Horwood and Mrs. Morris over potential inaccuracies within the report.

Resolved:  That the progress on the draft Local Plan be noted.

42.

Work Plan pdf icon PDF 28 KB

Minutes:

The work plan was noted and the following items added:

19 June 2018

Local List update

 

2 October 2018

Infrastructure delivery plan

 

22 November 2018(date to be confirmed by Annual Council on 15 May 2018)

Draft Local Plan – results of consultation.

 

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