Issue - meetings

The Executive Member for Planning and Growth presented the recommendations, which were referred to in the Executive report of 25 October 2022, regarding the Old River Lane Supplementary Planning Document.

Councillor Goodeve said that Old River Lane was a development site allocated in the East Herts District Plan 2018 (Policy BISH8) which formed a key opportunity for sustainable redevelopment in the heart of Bishop’s Stortford and an opportunity to complement the retail, community, and leisure provision in the town centre. The Old River Lane sets out a clear vision and development objectives, establishing placemaking and design principles, and by setting out a strategic master planning framework to bring forward appropriate redevelopment at Old River Lane.

Councillor Goodeve said that when adopted, the SPD would become a material consideration in assessing the quality of proposals on the site and in decision making on planning applications. She said that a draft version of the Old River Lane SPD was published for public consultation for four-weeks between 5 July and 2 August 2022. The consultation received over 400 comments from nearly 100 individual consultees. 

Councillor Goodeve proposed that the recommendations in the report be supported. Councillor Wyllie seconded the proposal and reserved his right to speak.

Councillor Goldspink said that she welcomed the report and supported its objectives. She was pleased to see reference had been made to the number of new dwellings remaining at around 100. She felt it was a little vague in some respects but felt it was a good report overall and was happy to support it.

Councillor Curtis referred to the tracked changes document which he felt did not reflect the number of consultation responses. He questioned if the council had got the balance right from the consultation and asked if the loan had been taken out yet to develop the cinema.

Councillor Goodeve said that the council could only take loans when it was required.

Councillor Wyllie said he supported the report but did have some concerns about over development. He said that he was concerned about any future developers trying to get out of any agreement and wanted to make sure that this agreement was watertight to ensure that Bishop’s Stortford got what it needed and not what future developers wanted.

Councillor Goodeve reminded the Council that the report was about the Supplementary Planning Document and not about a future planning application or any negotiations around a Section 106 agreement.

The motion to support the recommendation having been proposed and seconded was put to the meeting and upon a vote being taken, was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED – That (A) the responses to the consultation be noted and the officer responses and proposed changes to the Old River Lane Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) be supported;

(B)       the Old River Lane Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), be agreed for adoption; and

(C)         In accordance with the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004 it has been determined that a Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Old River Lane  ...  view the full minutes text for item 230

Councillor Haysey, Buckmaster and Williamson declared an interest in the item as they sat on the Old River Lane Delivery Board. They took no part in the discussion or voting of the item.

Councillor Goldspink also declared an interest in the item as she sat on the Old River Lane Delivery Board. She took no park in the discussion of the item.

The Executive Member for Corporate Services chaired the meeting for Item 9.

The Executive Member for Planning and Growth presented the report on the adoption of the Old River Lane Supplementary Planning Document. She said that Old River Lane was a development site allocated in the East Herts District Plan 2018 (Policy BISH8) which formed a key opportunity for sustainable redevelopment in the heart of Bishop’s Stortford and an opportunity to complement the retail, community, and leisure provision in the town centre.

Councillor Goodeve said that the Old River Lane SPD sought to guide this ambition by setting out a clear vision and development objectives.. The draft version was published for public consultation for four-weeks between the 5 July and 2 August 2022 and received over 400 comments from nearly 100 individual consultees.

Councillor Goodeve said that since the agenda was published, the Council had received a letter from the Bishop’s Stortford Civic Federation relating to information regarding the arts centre proposals set out in paragraphs 3.4.5 to 3.4.8, which were additional areas of text included after the public consultation. The paragraphs were added in response to a number of comments made during the public consultation which requested that the draft SPD should mention the Arts Centre that had previously been promoted by the Council as a landowner. Following receipt of the letter and having reviewed the additional proposed paragraphs in light of this, officers have concluded that the removal of paragraphs 3.4.6 and 3.4.7 would be appropriate, because the text contains a level of detail beyond that required for the SPD. Minor amendments to paragraph 3.4.8 were also proposed.

The Head of Legal and Democratic Services asked Members to confirm that they had seen the amendments to the document.

Councillor Goodeve confirmed that a hard copy of the amendments had been circulated to Members prior to the meeting.

Councillor Kaye said that he was pleased to see so many responses to the consultation and that amendments had been made following concerns raised. He said the document was now an encouraging one to move forward.

Members thanked Officers for their hard work on producing the Supplementary Planning Document.

Councillor Goodeve proposed and Councillor Kaye seconded a motion supporting the recommendations in the report. On being put to the meeting and a vote taken, the motion was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED – To recommend to Council:

(A)       That the responses to the consultation be noted and the officer responses and proposed changes to the Old River Lane Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) be supported;

(B)       That the Old River Lane Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), as detailed at Appendix C to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 179