Issue - meetings

The report of the Director – Development and Economic Growth is attached

The Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Planning and Housing, Councillor Upton presented the report of the Director – Development and Economic Growth detailing the Greater Nottingham Strategic Plan (GNSP).

In moving the recommendation, Councillor Upton referred to the Council’s statutory duty to review and adopt a new Local Development Plan, which had taken several years to prepare, in conjunction with Broxtowe, Gedling and Nottingham City, and advised that it was critical that the current Plan was updated, to secure sustainable development and growth. Councillor Upton referred to the significant public consultation already undertaken, together with the meetings of the cross party Local Development Framework (LDF) Group, where at its last meeting, members present had unanimously resolved to accept the draft document and submit it to Full Council for approval. 

Councillor Upton referred to the recent consultation on revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which suggested a transitional period, where not all of the updates had to be completely reflected in local plans, if they had reached a certain stage, and it was thought that the current timeline would meet those new rules, providing Rushcliffe’s Plan was published for consultation by next month. Without approval this evening, Councillor Upton stated that this transitional window would be lost, with the Plan unable to go forward, leaving the Council without an up to date Plan. Each council would have to individually agree and adopt the Plan, and that would be followed by a six week public consultation, and then onto a public examination. 

Councillor Upton referred to Policy 3, which related to Housing Targets and advised that as part of the transitional arrangements, the Plan was only able to be adopted if each councils’ annualised housing target was within 200 dwellings throughout the Plan period, with those housing targets detailed in Table 1 of Policy 3 in the report. Council noted that Rushcliffe had more than sufficient existing housing supply to meet the Borough’s proposed housing target as detailed in Paragraph 4.33.  Economic and employment land had also been carefully considered in draft Policy 5, together with Policy 10, which required all developments to aspire to the highest standards of design and materials. Councillor Upton concluded by thanking all those involved in preparing this report, including partners, officers, in particular the Planning Policy Manager, and members of the LDF Group.

Councillor Butler seconded the recommendation and reserved the right to speak.

Councillor Calvert referred to the long history of close collaboration across the county, including the formation of the Greater Nottingham Planning Partnership in 2008. Governance was provided by a Joint Planning Advisory Board (JPAB), and those arrangements had remained, with the same Board overseeing the development of this Plan. Councillor Calvert felt that the LDF Group had considered the Plan in depth, and he echoed the thanks given to officers; however, he felt that the Group’s ability to influence the Plan was very limited, and it was difficult to grasp the complexities of the individual policies. Councillor Calvert also considered this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 31