Issue - meetings

The Executive Member for Planning and Growth presented the Buntingford Employment Strategy. She said that to update the District Plan, there was a large evidence base to be collated and part of that evidence base was to understand the town’s current employment market in order to guide policy decisions and whether further employment land was needed.

The Executive Member for Planning and Growth said that the key findings of the report were that Buntingford was experiencing significant housing growth, a lack of vacancies and a loss of employment land.

Councillor Glover-Ward proposed that the recommendation in the report be supported. Councillor Williams seconded the proposal.

Councillor E Buckmaster queried the predominant industry in Buntingford of construction and motor trade and asked if this was a factor to why there was so much house building there.

Councillor Glover-Ward said she would follow up the question with a written response outside of the meeting.

Councillor Woollcombe questioned the objectives listed in paragraph 3.4. He referred to objective five of encouraging small and medium sized businesses. He asked how this would be included within the District Plan so the objectives could be met.

Councillor Glover-Ward said that the District Plan 2018 had the information included. She said that when the District Plan was produced in 2028-29 then these objectives would be included if they were still required.

Councillor Hart asked about the implications for planning applications and the impact of the changing focus to the NPPF.

Councillor Glover-Ward said that what was in the employment study was the material consideration for planning applications. She said that the NPPF was beyond the scope of the employment study.

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 the Buntingford Employment Study (2025) be agreed as part of the evidence base to inform the new East Herts District Plan and as a material consideration for Development Management purposes in the determination of planning applications.

The Executive Member for Planning and Growth presented the Buntingford Employment Strategy. She said that in order to update the District Plan, there was a large evidence base to be collated underpin and part of that evidence base was to have an understanding of the town’s current employment market in order to guide policy decisions and whether further employment land was needed.

The Executive Member for Planning and Growth said that the key findings of the report was that Buntingford was experiencing significant housing growth, a lack of vacancies and a loss of employment land.

Councillor Glover-Ward proposed that the recommendations in the report be supported. Councillor Hopewell seconded the proposal.

Councillor Crystall asked if every town would have an employment study.

Councillor Glover-Ward confirmed that would be the case.

Councillor Crystall asked how long the report took to produce.

The Principal Planning Officer said that this study had been commissioned in November 2024 and had been a desktop study so could be worked through relatively quickly.

Councillor Hoskin asked how this document sat alongside the Hertfordshire Growth Board and the requirement for employment to sustain new housing.

The Principal Planning Officer said that the employment study was part of the bigger picture and would be looked at alongside district wide employment studies and the wider evidence base for infrastructure. 

Councillor Hoskin asked if there were any case studies where an employment study had been used as a planning consideration elsewhere and worked.

The Principal Planning Officer said there was an emphasis on understanding that there was a balance between making employment and housing more sustainable.

Councillor Deering said he was in favour of the report and every town needed employment facilities and people needed jobs. He hoped the other studies would be expediated as much as possible.

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

RESOLVED – To recommend to Council that the Buntingford Employment Study (2025), attached as Appendix A, be agreed as part of the evidence base to inform the new East Herts District Plan and as a material consideration for Development Management purposes in the determination of planning applications.