Issue - meetings

REPORT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION MANAGER

To update Members on appeals lodged and any decisions made.

The Development and Conservation Manager provided an update on Planning Appeals.

Audio recording – 1 hour 22 minutes 10 seconds

The Development and Conservation Manager provided an update on Planning Appeals and highlighted the following:

·       Table 1 highlighted that seven appeals were submitted.

·       The Wandon End appeal decision had been included in Table 2. This application was rejected by the Committee before grey belt was introduced in the December revision of the NPPF, however was reviewed and approved following the introduction of grey belt.

·       This appeal decisions firmed up what grey belt meant. It was not just previously developed land, but any land that does not contribute to all green belt purposes set out in the NPPF.

·       He would be recording online training that outlined the grey belt for Members and that, in the Local Plan review, the green belt would be looked at and the Plan would distinguish what could be considered grey belt.

The following Members asked questions:

·       Councillor Daniel Allen

·       Councillor Bryony May

·       Councillor Nigel Mason

·       Councillor Martin Prescott

In response to questions the Development and Conservation Manager advised that:

·       If an area was considered grey belt under paragraph 1.1.5 of the NPPF, it must still be considered to make a significant contribution to an area. In North Hertfordshire, there was a need for renewable energy generation and housing to meet the requirements of the 5-year land supply would be examples of significant contributions which could be considered grey belt. .

·       If the Council had already met its 5-year land supply need then grey belt would be used for housing only if there was an unmet need for a specific type of dwelling, for example a nursing home.

·       There was no definite date the 5-year land supply would be met but, depending on approval of applications to be considered, it could be within 12-18 months.

·       An approved site would be added to the future land supply based on size, for example the sites approved in the Baldock Masterplan would not contribute to the 5-year land supply, but the development approved tonight would.

·       Larger sites, like those within the Baldock Masterplan, would contribute to the 10–15-year housing land supply.