Issue - meetings

Deborah Coates, Principle Strategic Planning Officer, provided a verbal update on the Sustainability Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).

Audio Recording – 95 minutes 52 seconds

The Chair invited Deborah Coates, Principle Strategic Panning Officer to present. Ms. Coates thanked the Chair, gave a presentation with slides and advised:

·         The SPD was currently in the draft phase, and once finished would go to consultation.

·         The SPD built upon the current Local Plan policies, but did not form part of the development plan.

·         The SPD would provide further technical interpretation of requirements, processes that needed to be followed and expand on ‘directions of travel’.

·         Sustainability referred to the means by which we meet our needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

·         The SPD would consider the work of HCCSP, which covered water sustainability, biodiversity, carbon reduction and transport.

·         The Sustainability Development Goals from Central Government were also being considered.

·         The SPD Technical guidance would cover energy efficiency, low carbon energy, passive design, EV charging points, waste, materials and water use.

·         The North Hertfordshire Sustainability standards would also be considered.

·         The SPD looked to introduce Sustainability Standards rated Low/Medium/High.

The Chair thanked Ms. Coates for her presentation, commented that there were benefits for developers to deliver more than the minimum standard outlined in the SPD.

The following Members and public participants asked questions:

·         Roger Lovegrove

·         John Webb

·         Deolinda Eltringham

In response to the questions, Ms. Coates advised:

·         The Council cannot require developers to build to a higher level than the building regulations, but they can encourage them.

·         The review of Local Plan could do more to ensure developers build to higher standards.

·         Circularity could be addressed in the SPD.

The Chair thanked Ms. Coates for her presentation.

Deolinda Eltringham asked if Council Tax could be redesigned to be lower for more energy-efficient houses, which could make them more favourable for purchase.

The Chair commented that the Council could not do that due to constraints. There was discussion around a change in Council Tax band if the capital value of a house was increased and its running costs were decreased, but the impact of that was unsure. The Council does not have influence in some areas such as carbon reduction and nature recovery, but aimed to set an example to the community and lobby the government to do more.

The Chair advised that this was the last meeting of the civic year, and that items for the work programme for the next civic year needed to be considered. Water and sewage and community energy should be considered as topics for the programme.

John Webb advised that the charity Transition Town Letchworth was being shut down in August 2023, and a discussion group with Letchworth Arts and Leisure group was being formed called DeCarbonise Letchworth.

The Chair commented that this was sad news, and the charity had reached beyond Letchworth in its work.