Agenda and minutes

Minutes of the meeting held on 11 July 2013 (previously circulated)

RESOLVED: to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 11 July 2013 as a correct record and agree that the Chairman signs them as such. 

Purpose: to confirm support for the draft housing distribution numbers for the larger villages which will inform the preparation of neighbourhood plans

Cabinet considered the head of planning’s report on housing distribution numbers for larger villages.  The council’s local plan core strategy included the need to accommodate 1,154 in the larger villages.  The report set out details of numbers of new homes following meetings with parish councils.  These would be accommodated in the ‘Local Plan: Sites and General Policies’ document that would be brought forward to full Council in 2014. 

Mr David Turner addressed Cabinet, asking:

1. why was housing being distributed to villages without secondary schools?
2. why was the housing distribution policy different from the previous local plan?
3. will Cabinet contact the Local Government Association to lobby government over the rules governing the distribution of new homes bonus?
4. why was this meeting held today at 9am and not at 6pm when more members of the public could attend? 

The officers sought to answer Mr Turner’s questions.  The council’s housing strategy involved allocating housing amongst several villages if they were in proximity to other villages with services.  The new local plan had given the council the opportunity to make a fresh start and the housing distribution policy had been changed to reflect changing circumstances.  Cabinet had approved the policy to allocate new homes bonus; this reflected the need to allocate some to the local enterprise partnership. The timing of the Cabinet meeting had been arranged to align with another meeting to gain efficiencies. 

Cabinet members supported the housing distribution set out in appendix 1 to the report, believing that it was important to make this decision now to help parishes progress their neighbourhood plans. 

RESOLVED: to approve the draft housing distribution numbers for the larger villages, as set out in Appendix A to the head of planning’s report, as a basis for taking forward neighbourhood plans in advance of the Local Plan: Sites and General Policies Development Plan Document.