Agenda item

The Executive Member for Planning and Growth presented the recommendations to Council. She explained that the Charter had been launched by the Hertfordshire Growth Board in 2023 and had been designed to raise the standards of construction in Hertfordshire. She said that the Charter was not a design guide or specific to East Hertfordshire, it was a document designed to cover all ten districts and boroughs and the county council.

The Executive Member for Planning and Growth said that the Charter set out seven pledges focussed on design and sustainability and that two developers had already endorsed the Charter. She said that the Charter did not seek to replace higher standards than current regulations and would help encourage developers be more ambitious in excellence and design.

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

Councillor Estop said that she welcomed the Charter in principle but felt it was quite weak and that the Growth Board could have been more challenging to developers across the county. She said that the Charter did not acknowledge the role of Development Management Committees in councils and felt that the Charter did not add anything to what already existed in the District Plan.

Councillor Deering said that the Charter was the first of its kind and felt it was a very positive step. He said he was pleased that the Council were recommending its adoption and said the Conservative group would be voting in favour of the recommendations.

Councillor E Buckmaster said that it was good to have a common approach across Hertfordshire and referred to the pledges in the Charter and said the council were already doing these.

Councillor Goldspink said she strongly supported the Charter and was pleased to see that it encouraged environmentally friendly building. She welcomed that the Charter was raising ambitions within the county.

Councillor Crystall said that it would be great if the ambition was higher but there was a trade off in order to get as many authorities as possible to sign up to it. He said he supported it strongly.

Councillor Hart said she agreed with the comments from Councillor Estop. She said that if the bar was set too low to get developers to sign up to it, it meant there won’t be any meaningful impact. She said it was good to hear that East Herts were ahead of the game in balancing the need for housing and protecting the natural world but felt the council should stay ahead and not sign up to a watered-down charter.

Councillor McAndrew said that the review of the District Plan would help the council raise the bar again. He said that this Charter let developers know that there was a minimum standard across all the districts and boroughs and would stop developers moving across the county to take advantage of lower standards.

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 Hertfordshire Development Quality Charter be agreed as a material consideration for Development Management purposes; and

(B)  Developers, landowners and housing associations in the district be encouraged to voluntarily sign and commit to the design and sustainability pledges set out in the Quality Charter.