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Issue - meetings

NOTICE OF MOTIONS

 

 

Meeting: 29/01/2026 - Council (Item 82)

82 NOTICE OF MOTIONS pdf icon PDF 144 KB

To consider any motions, due notice of which have been given in accordance with Standing Order 4.8.12.

Additional documents:

Decision:

There were three motions submitted in accordance with Standing Order 4.8.12.

 

(A)  ‘Grey Belt’ Land and Planning Applications in North Herts

 

RESOLVED: That the Executive Member for Place:

 

(1)   Writes to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to express concern about the rise of speculative development in the countryside in North Herts.

 

(2)   Responds to the consultation on proposed changes to the NPPF by 10 March 2026, including the following points:

 

•        Green belt assessment should include villages.

•        Ensure grey belt developments occur only on previously developed land.

•        Ensure high-quality farmland and important wildlife habitats are protected from development.

•        Set ambitious and legally binding targets for genuinely affordable and socially rented homes in all new developments, with developers held to account if they are not delivered.

 

(B)  HertsLynx Expansion

 

RESOLVED: That Council:

 

(1)   Instruct the Leader of the Council to write to the Executive Member for Environment, Transport and Growth at Hertfordshire County Council, urging them, once funding is available, to expand the HertsLynx service to the communities within the Southern Rural area who don’t currently enjoy the benefits of this innovative service, as well as to welcome the planned enhancements to the service currently experienced by those living elsewhere in North Herts.

 

(2)   Instruct Officers to work with Hertfordshire County Council in order to identify the best way North Hertfordshire District Council can encourage and support any proposals for the expansion and service enhancement of the HertsLynx, including investigating any potential financial support from S106 contributions that this Council could offer in order to deliver these ambitions.

 

(C)  Action on Fly-tipping

 

RESOLVED: That Council:

 

(1)   Use its powers given under the Environmental Protection Act (1990) to issue Fixes Penalty Notices for minor fly tipping offences. In line with the 2023 amendment increasing the maximum fine to £1000, higher penalties will be applied where appropriate.

 

(2)   Instruct Officers to work on a public information campaign to increase awareness of the SCRAP code, as well as the steps members of public should take to report fly-tipping to the Council.

 

(3)   Continue to work with the police to tackle the crime of fly-tipping by unauthorised commercial operators and pursue the objective of prosecuting all serious offenders.

Minutes:

Audio recording – 56 minutes 35 seconds

 

There were three motions submitted in accordance with Standing Order 4.8.12.

 

N.B. Councillors Claire Strong, Martin Prescott and Daniel Allen declared an interest in this item due to their position as Members and substitutes of the Planning Control Committee and left the Chamber for the duration of this item.

 

N.B. Councillor Emma Rowe declared an interest in this item due to her employment and left the Chamber for the duration of the item.

 

N.B. Councillors Nigel Mason and Emma Fernandes declared an interest in this item due to their positions as Chair and Vice-Chair of the Planning Control Committee and advised they would not take part in the debate or vote on the motion but would remain in the Chamber.

 

In response to a question from Councillor Val Bryant, the Monitoring Officer explained that the motion related to planning policy at a high level, and it did not prevent Members of the Planning Control Committee from taking part, however, they should be careful when expressing views and have an open mind when considering applications at Committee.

 

(A)  ‘Grey Belt’ Land and Planning Applications in North Herts

 

Councillor Louise Peace proposed the motions as follows:

 

‘Changes to the NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework) in December 2024 introduced a new concept in planning: grey belt. “For the purposes of plan-making and decision-making, ‘grey belt’ is defined as land in the green belt comprising previously developed land and/or any other land that, in either case, does not strongly contribute to any of purposes (a), (b), or (d) in paragraph 143.”

 

Villages in North Herts now find that surrounding ‘green belt’ land can be considered as ‘grey belt’ as (a), (b) and (d) in paragraph 143 of the 2024 NPPF made no reference to villages – only that neighbouring towns should not merge into one another and it should ‘…preserve the setting and special character of historic towns’. Proposed revisions to the NPPF, currently at consultation stage, go further than this with (a) and (b) clearly stating that villages should not be included in these considerations. Provided that certain ‘golden rules’ are followed such as the provision of 50% 'affordable' housing, applications can now be made on green belt land that would previously have been untenable.

 

The result of this in Ickleford, in my ward of Cadwell, is that some 350 homes are currently under consideration or at pre-application stage on undeveloped edge of village green field sites with another approximately 50 homes on the border of neighbouring Bearton ward. North Hertfordshire needs new homes, but it needs to be able to build these homes where there is infrastructure available to support residents. Residents deserve readily available NHS services, good public transport options including safe walking and cycling access to employment and homes where the sewerage network isn't already at capacity. Large developments on edge of village locations result in communities reliant on cars, using roads that are already at a standstill at peak periods.

 

In December  ...  view the full minutes text for item 82