Issue - meetings

Minute 316 refers

RESOLVED – that support for the East Herts Retail and Town Centres Study Update Report, September 2013, being used as part of the evidence base to inform and support the East Herts District Plan and for Development Management purposes in the determination of planning applications, be delegated to the Head of Planning and Building Control Services, in consultation with the Executive Member for Strategic Planning and Transport.

(see also Minute 414)

Minute 10 refers

The Executive considered and approved the recommendations of the District Planning Executive Panel, at its meeting held on 3 October 2013, on the Retail and Town Centres Study Update.

RECOMMENDED – that support for the East Herts Retail and Town Centres Study Update Report, September 2013, being used as part of the evidence base to inform and support the East Herts District Plan and for Development Management purposes in the determination of planning applications, be delegated to the Head of Planning and Building Control Services, in consultation with the Executive Member for Strategic Planning and Transport.

(see also Minute 325)

The Panel considered a report summarising the findings of the East Herts Retail and Town Centres Study Update, September 2013, which sought endorsement to use the Study to inform the preparation of the East Herts District Plan.

In 2008, the Council had commissioned Chase and Partners Consultants to undertake a Retail and Town Centres Study to audit the amount and type of retail across the District and to provide recommendations for an approach to planning for retail needs for the emerging Plan period.  However, this Study had been undertaken just before the economic recession and had used a 2006 baseline when undertaking forecast calculations.  As such, it no longer reflected the latest economic situation.  Therefore, the 2013 Study Update, prepared by consultants Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners, provided an updated assessment of the current economic circumstances, using up-to-date baseline and expenditure evidence from which to provide more accurate forecasts.

The Panel noted that the full report was not yet available and therefore, was requested to consider an amended recommendation, whereby support for the Study Update to inform the preparation of the East Herts District Plan be delegated to the Head of Planning and Building Control Services, in consultation with the Executive Member for Strategic Planning and Transport.

Jenny Hill of Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners gave a presentation on the findings of the Study Update and answered Members’ questions.  Various comments were made in respect of the current economic vitality of town centres in the District and the recent national policy amendments permitting changes to any Use Class for two years.

The Panel supported the recommendation as now amended.

RECOMMENDED – that support for the East Herts Retail and Town Centres Study Update Report, September 2013, being used as part of the evidence base to inform and support the East Herts District Plan and for Development Management purposes in the determination of planning applications, be delegated to the Head of Planning and Building Control Services, in consultation with the Executive Member for Strategic Planning and Transport.