Issue - meetings

The Executive Member for Planning and Growth presented the East Herts Strategic Vision report. She said that the strategic vision would be used to inform the debate and a unified direction of the council’s approach to growth. She said that the report discussed the reasoning behind the vision based on the important issues and challenges facing the district. The Strategic Vision was formed via a series of workshops with the Leadership Team and councillors and a result of engagement with strategic stakeholders.

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

Councillor Devonshire said that the vision looked great but asked where the Council was with the five-year land supply.

Councillor Glover-Ward said the Council had made a statement at appeal about a month ago and had confirmed they had a 3.2 – 3.5 year housing land supply. She said that the new homes target had been increased by the government but there were plans for recovery by looking at all the strategic sites and see which ones could be accelerated at the earliest opportunity.

Councillor Deering said he was supportive of the work being done towards the District Plan. He said he was concerned about development and about the council not reaching the five-year land supply.

Councillor Estop said she welcomed the report. She referred to section 3 and the characteristics of the district where the council shares borders with Stevenage, Welwyn and Harlow. She asked if the council had consulted and had dialogue with these neighbouring authorities as part of the visioning work.

Councillor Glover-Ward said cooperation with other districts would be part of a separate exercise.

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 – That (A) the East Herts Strategic Vision is made available to stakeholders and the wider community to begin a discussion about the new District Plan, and to seek comments on the Vision;

(B)   Engagement on the Strategic Vision should commence, and take the form of a six week period of activity during Spring / Summer 2025 through a range of different forums, including online and in-person; and

(C)   A further report detailing any feedback is prepared following engagement to agree a final version of the Strategic Vision, and to set the out the next stages of plan-making.

The Executive Member for Planning and Growth presented the East Herts Strategic Vision report. She said that the strategic vision would be used to inform the debate and a unified direction of the council’s approach to growth. She said that the report discussed the reasoning behind the vision based on the important issues and challenges facing the district. The Strategic Vision was formed via a series of workshops with the Leadership Team and councillors and a result of engagement with strategic stakeholders.

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

Councillor Crystall thought that it was a great vision document and said the process had been really engaging. He asked when the consultation for the document would be.

Councillor Glover-Ward said that there would be a consultation on the vision document and two consultations on the District Plan with the first District Plan consultation not being before the end of 2026.

Councillor Hopewell asked if there was any opportunity to provide any additional support to town and parish councils in aiding their understanding of the document.

Councillor Glover-Ward said that she had opened up DMC training to all parish councillors and Planning forums had bene introduced. She said she could set up a session on the District Plan if it was required.

Councillor Dumont felt that the visioning sessions had been very productive with cross party representation.

Councillor Brittain asked what happened to the District Plan if devolution went ahead and the district no longer existed.

Councillor Glover-Ward said there was experience of this within the planning team at previous authorities. She said that two separate plans had been adopted by the unitary and stayed in place until it was replaced by the next one. She said that the National Planning Policy Framework insisted that everything was to be plan led.

Councillor Daar asked if that meant the future potential unitary could have several plans adopted.

Councillor Glover-Ward expected that to happen initially but eventually there would be one plan to cover the whole unitary.

Councillor Stowe said that the last District Plan took more than a couple of years to go through the process.

Councillor Glover-Ward said that the process would be challenging but the 2.5 years timescales was set by the government.

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 (A) the East Herts Strategic Vision is made available to stakeholders and the wider community to begin a discussion about the new District Plan, and to seek comments on the Vision;
 

     (B)  Engagement on the Strategic Vision should commence, and take the form of a six-week period of activity during Spring / Summer 2025 through a range of different forums, including online and in-person; and
 

(C)     A further report detailing any   feedback is prepared following engagement to agree a final version of the Strategic Vision, and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 393