Agenda item

The Executive Member for Planning and Growth presented the Gilston Area Monitoring Framework which would be used to monitor the 10,000 new homes being built in Gilston. The S106 agreement contained monitoring obligations with triggers and milestones for onsite infrastructure and payment of financial contributions for off-site infrastructure.

The Executive Member for Planning and Growth said that there was a structured approach with representatives from East Herts Council and Herts County Council to ensure coordination and oversight of the various monitoring activities. She said that once the monitoring framework had been agreed, an annual monitoring report would be produced with the first report published in January 2026.

Councillor Glover-Ward proposed that the recommendations in the report, as amended, be supported. Councillor Brittain seconded the proposal.

Councillor E Buckmaster felt that the report needed more clarification such as a reference to the potential future as a unitary authority. He also said that stakeholders were mentioned but it did not reference elected members and democratic processes. He referred to page 43 which related to land being sold on and said that the community would like assurance that they had the right to be informed when this occurred.

Councillor Glover-Ward said that the developer may wish to have another developer involved and the council could not fetter their commercial decision in that respect. However, the developer had been clear at all community forums that they would stay involved in the process as they were interested in delivering affordable housing and other facilities. She said that she could not see any reason why, once the information was no longer commercially sensitive, the community would not be informed that parcels of land had been sold on to other developers.

Councillor E Buckmaster asked about the rights of members.

Councillor Glover-Ward said that members, along with any stakeholders, will be able to get involved in any Development Management Forums or in Community Forums.

Councillor Dunlop asked if parish councils and Neighbourhood Planning Groups would be involved in the monitoring review group.

Councillor Glover-Ward said that the purpose of the group was more relevant to larger stakeholders such as the Environment Agency. There was a role for parish councils to get involved in the monitoring and in the trust and stewardship group. She said that councillor input was expected in the normal way as they were on the ground and community forums were key and the main conduit for the wider community to input into the developers. 

Councillor Dunlop referred to section 5.3 which related to the continual monitoring to enable issues to be identified beyond the s106 triggers. He felt there should be a business plan around certain targets happening and said it was not clear that this was the case.

Councillor Glover-Ward said any renegotiation would take place directly between the council and developers. She said that she would not expect the community to be at the negotiation meetings.

Councillor Dunlop asked how the Development Management Forums were different to the Community Forums.

Councillor Glover-Ward said there was an opportunity to have a Development Management Forum on a particular parcel of land and the reserved matters applications for the villages.

Councillor Dunlop referred to Appendix A and asked if this would be updated as tasks were completed or quarterly.

Councillor Glover-Ward said that the monitoring would be presented annually.

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 – to recommend to Council that the Gilston Area Monitoring Framework, attached at Appendix A, be endorsed.