Agenda and draft minutes

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No apologies were received as all Members were present.

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The Committee agreed the minutes and they were signed by the Chairman.

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Introduction

Judy Holmes, Deputy Chief Executive introduced the report, noting the complex, lengthy and prescribed process started in November 2021. She highlighted the importance of plan making, the input from the member working groups and the engagement with town and parish councils.

Members discussed the Plan in relation to the proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act, noting that the act had not changed the housing number.

The Deputy Chief Executive confirmed a King’s Counsel has been involved throughout the process to ensure the Plan complies with current legislation. Sally Blomfield, Assistant Director Planning and Economy advised the revised NPPF, when published, will have provision for transitional arrangements, however the Plan can be modified if necessary, during the examination process. 

Evidence Base, and Regulation 19 Plan Strategy and Housing Number

Andrew Marsh, Head of Planning Policy and Housing Enabling confirmed the evidence base library was available on the Council’s website, highlighted that the Regulation 19 plan strategy had changed compared to the current adopted Plan and the standard method was used to calculate the district’s housing need.

The Head of Planning Policy and Housing Enabling directed Members to the accompanying Sustainability Appraisal and Habitats Regulations Assessment which are legal requirements and appended to the Committee report.

Members discussed the modelling of highways junctions, impact on settlements, and cycle networks.  The Head of Planning Policy and Housing Enabling advised the level of modelling for the Regulation 19 stage of plan making was different to the evidence required to support a planning application. The NPPF advises the local plan must have a proportionate evidence base that supports the plan at a strategic level; at application stage more detailed modelling would be required and this would indicate detail mitigation measures if required.  It was also confirmed that the Plan is underpinned by the 20-minute neighbourhoods principle.

Meeting Housing Need

The Assistant Director confirmed there had been no changes to the sites since Regulation 18 stage.   She noted that the site allocation policies continued to set out the detailed site and infrastructure requirements, housing mix and affordable housing. The new general policy for guiding principles for sustainable communities, which includes the requirement for Significant Sites to prepare a site-specific Masterplan and Infrastructure Delivery Plan for the Council to agree was highlighted.

Members discussed developments on agricultural land, applications on unallocated sites and protected habitats. The Head of Planning Policy and Housing Enabling advised much of the District is grade 3 agricultural land and additional metrics are used to classify if the land is grade 3a or 3b. It is not possible to distinguish sites as grade 3a or 3b without detailed site assessment. The officers were confident that the site selection process is sound. He confirmed a site that had previously been promoted within Horsham and Mid Sussex districts near Sayers Common had been withdrawn.

Duty to Cooperate

The Head of Planning noted it is best practice to include an oversupply / buffer above the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

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