Venue: Council Chamber, Council Offices, Station Road East, Oxted. View directions
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Minutes of the meeting held on 21 November 2024 Additional documents: Minutes: The minutes were confirmed and signed as a correct record. |
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Planning Policy Reforms (National Planning Policy Framework 2024) Additional documents: Minutes: The Committee received a report summarising key changes made to planning policy and guidance by the Government. The changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) affecting development management came into effect on the day of publication, 12 December 2024. Changes in relation to plan making would come into effect on 12 March 2025.
Officers drew Members’ attention to the following headlines:
· The NPPF put a strong emphasis on the need to deliver housing in sustainable locations. Mandatory minimum housing targets had been introduced and the Standard Method for calculating Local Housing Need (LHN) had been updated. Tandridge’s LHN had increased from 634 to 843. Councils were also required to annually report a five-year housing land supply (5YHLS).
· A new category of Green Belt had been introduced, called ‘Grey Belt’. This was land that either was previously developed land and / or did not strongly contribue to any of the Green Belt purposes (a), (b) and (c). Development on Grey Belt would not be considered inappropriate development if new, Golden Rules applied. The Golden Rules required new developments on Grey Belt to make contributions to affordable housing, infrastructure and green spaces. In addition, Green Belt reviews were mandatory for authorities who failed to meet the LHN and a sequential test for the release of Green Belt had been introduced.
· The changes placed a stronger emphasis on delivering socially rented homes.
· The planning definition of a Gypsy or Traveller had been expanded and changes had been made as to how traveller sites in the Green Belt should be considered.
· The previous ‘predict and provide’ approach to transport planning had been replaced with a ‘vision-led’ approach.
· In terms of plan making, local plans submitted for Independent Examination after December 2026 would need to be prepared under the new regime which was expected to be introduced in summer 2025. All local planning authorities were required to prepare and issue an updated Local Development Scheme (LDS) to MHCLG within 12 weeks of the publication of the NPPF, i.e. by 12 March 2025.
The report also outlined Government’s intention to review, publish or consult on further policy and guidance reforms throughout 2025.
Responding to Member questions, Officers explained:
· the 20% 5YHLS buffer applied to Tandridge.
· it remained important to move forward with developing the evidence base for the local plan. In light of potential local government reorganisation, Officers were considering how the Council could partner with neighbouring authorities to ensure the evidence base was consistent across authorities.
R E S O L V E D – that:
A. The report be noted.
B. Work begin on the preparation of a new Local Development Scheme (LDS) and a special planning policy committee be held to approve the LDS in February 2025. |
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Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) consultation Additional documents: Minutes: Officers presented a report which provided a summary of the key issues raised during the 6-week consultation on the Statement of Community Involvement (SCI). The SCI set out how and when the Council would engage with interested parties on planning matters. It had last been updated in 2020.
Officers explained it was necessary to retract the recommended amendment to the SCI on how planning notices were displayed. This was as a result of the additional workload it would create in the development management team. Officers confirmed notices were required to be displayed on the application property or nearby it, and would clarify with the development management team if notices were required for householder applications.
In response to a Member question, Officers confirmed it was typical for a low number of representations to be submitted during procedural consultations like the SCI one. In total, 13 responses had been received.
Members were pleased the SCI included notification of ward Councillors when pre-application advice requests for major developments or complex proposals were received in their ward.
R E S O L V E D – that:
A. the revised SCI is adopted and published on the Council’s website.
B. the retraction of the recommended amendment to the SCI on how planning notices are displayed, paragraph 12 of the covering report, is noted. |
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Additional documents:
Minutes: A proposed 2025/26 revenue budget and capital programme for the Planning Policy Committee was presented. This comprised:
· a revenue budget of £2.162m;
· proposed fees and charges; and
· a (Community Infrastructure Levy) capital programme of £3.6m for 2025/26.
The revenue budget and capital program would be recommended to the Strategy & Resources Committee in January 2025 for consolidation and Full Council in February 2025 for approval. The budget had been developed according to the budget principles approved by Full Council in October 2024, the proposals discussed at the Committee in November 2024 and the draft budget received by the Strategy & Resources Committee in November 2024. Officers highlighted the proposal to increase the Committee’s budget by £100k, to £300k, to meet the cost of planning appeals. It was noted a call on corporate contingencies would be required if planning appeals remained at the same level. Members asked several questions, with Officers responding to explain: · potential local government reorganisation would make it more difficult to recruit to certain roles. Where there were budget pressures, a call on contingencies may be required. A recruitment video was being produced to promote the Council.
· the local plan budget was proposed to be set at £537k, and was supported by £1m of reserves.
· a review would be undertaken to ensure fees and charges cover the cost of providing the service. In relation to Section 106 administration fees, legal fees were contained in the Strategy & Resources Committee fees and charges. R E S O L V E D – that:
A. the proposed Planning Policy Committee’s revenue budget for 2025/26 of £2.162m, as shown in Appendix A and B to the report, taking account of pressures allocated to the Committee and increased income expectations, be agreed;
B. the Planning Policy Committee’s fees and charges for 2025/26, as shown in Appendix C to the report, be agreed;
C. the Planning Policy Committee’s (Community Infrastructure Levy) Capital Programme for 2025/26 being the sum of £3.6m as shown in Appendix D to the report be agreed, subject to approval by Strategy & Resources Committee and Full Council; and
D. the Subjective Revenue Budgets in Appendix B to the report, setting out movements from 2024/25 to 2025/26 be noted.
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