Issue - meetings

Minute 375 refers

RESOLVED – that the Delivery Study, September 2015, be agreed as part of the evidence base to inform and support preparation of the East Herts District Plan.

(see also Minute 465)

Minute 11 refers

The Executive considered and supported the recommendations of the District Planning Executive Panel meeting held on 22 October 2015, on the Delivery Study, September 2015.

RECOMMENDED – that the Delivery Study, September 2015, be agreed as part of the evidence base to inform and support preparation of the East Herts District Plan.

(see also Minute 380)

The Panel considered a report presenting the findings of the Delivery Study, September 2015 which sought agreement that they should form part of the evidence base to inform and support preparation of the District Plan.

Members were referred to Essential Reference Paper ‘B’ of the report submitted for the East Herts Strategic Sites Delivery Study that assessed the four strategic sites and the amount of infrastructure required to support development in these locations.   The report concluded that development to the East of Welwyn Garden City, North and East of Ware and South of Bishop’s Stortford could be considered to be developable. The term developable meant that it was expected that these sites would come forward in year 6 onwards of the District Plan period.

As regards Gilston, one issue that needed a resolution was satisfying the Environment Agency and Thames Water regarding the approach to sewage water treatment and drainage.  The second issue was the provision of a second crossing over the River Stort.

The Panel was referred to Essential Reference Paper ‘C’ of the report submitted, for a report regarding the viability of the District Plan as well affordable housing and the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) study.  The report indicated that the majority of development scenarios in the District would be considered to be financially viable.

Following an observation from Councillor E Buckmaster regarding the District Plan preferred options, the Panel was advised that Peter Brett Associates had suggested that it would be inappropriate to leave questions on infrastructure delivery to future Development Plan Documents.  The Council would need to decide how to approach this issue in due course.

The Panel Chairman and the Head of Planning and Building Control confirmed to Councillor T Page that the Panel was not in a fully informed position to articulate whether the CIL could provide a more fail safe method for the provision of affordable housing than the existing Section 106 process.

The Planning Policy Team Leader advised that Officers would bring a report in respect of CIL to the Panel meeting in December 2015.  Members were also advised that the Local Authorities covering Dacorum and Three Rivers had just received their first CIL payments and St Albans City and District Council was also now in a position to be in receipt of its first CIL payments.

The Panel supported the recommendation now detailed.

RECOMMENDED – that the Delivery Study, September 2015, be agreed as part of the evidence base to inform and support preparation of the East Herts District Plan.