Issue - meetings

REPORT OF THE SERVICE DIRECTOR – REGULATORY

To provide additional detail and clarity to Local Plan Policy SP1 (Sustainable Development in North Hertfordshire) and other relevant policies in the Plan.

RESOLVED:

(1)   That Cabinet endorsed and approved the draft Sustainability SPD, attached as Appendix A to the report, for a six-week public consultation from 4 January 2024 to 16 February 2024.

(2)   That the Hertfordshire Development Quality Charter attached as Appendix C was endorsed and that developers of strategic and significant sites in the District (as defined by the Local Plan) were encouraged to voluntarily sign and commit to its pledges.

REASONS FOR DECISIONS:

(1)   To allow the draft Sustainability SPD to be progressed to public consultation so that it may be developed and eventually adopted to support the adopted Local Plan.

(2)   To support a common standard for design quality and sustainability across Hertfordshire.

(3)   To reinforce and deliver the Council’s pledges and ambitions as set out in the Climate Emergency and Ecological Emergency declarations.

Audio recording – 4 minutes 42 seconds

Councillor Ruth Brown, Executive Member for Planning and Transport, presented the report entitled ‘Draft Sustainability SPD’ and advised that:

·       She wanted to thank the Cabinet Panel on the Environment for their input to this report which had been very helpful.

·       This report reflected the current sustainability aspirations of the Council.

·       It was important to raise aspirations regarding sustainability as things have changed since the Local Plan was written. 

·       This was part of the actions taken by the Council to address the climate emergency which would provide robust guidance for developers and drive-up standards.

·       The report proposed three standards of sustainability, bronze, silver and gold.

·       Bronze level was the legal requirement and the levels of silver and gold could be achieved if higher standards were met.

·       There was an incentive for applications to achieve the higher standards of silver and gold as they would be given positive consideration when officers were looking at the planning balance. 

·       Public consultation had enabled people to comment on what they felt was the best approach and to make recommendations of how it should be applied.

In response to a question from Councillor Alistair Willoughby, Councillor Ruth Brown advised that the clear objective criteria needed to achieve gold, silver and bronze standards was set out in Appendix A.

Councillor Ruth Brown proposed and Councillor Keith Hoskins seconded and, following a vote, it was:

RESOLVED:

(1)   That Cabinet endorsed and approved the draft Sustainability SPD, attached as Appendix A to the report, for a six-week public consultation from 4 January 2024 to 16 February 2024.

(2)   That the Hertfordshire Development Quality Charter attached as Appendix C was endorsed and that developers of strategic and significant sites in the District (as defined by the Local Plan) were encouraged to voluntarily sign and commit to its pledges.

REASONS FOR DECISIONS:

(1)   To allow the draft Sustainability SPD to be progressed to public consultation so that it may be developed and eventually adopted to support the adopted Local Plan.

(2)   To support a common standard for design quality and sustainability across Hertfordshire.

(3)   To reinforce and deliver the Council’s pledges and ambitions as set out in the Climate Emergency and Ecological Emergency declarations.