MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL
Planning, Transport and Development Overview & Scrutiny Committee
Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 19 November 2013
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Present: |
Councillor Collins (Chairman), and Councillors Burton, Chittenden, Mrs Gooch, McLoughlin, Ross, Springett, Watson and Mrs Wilson |
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Also Present: |
Councillors Garland, Councillor Pickett and Councillor Mrs Paterson. |
45. The Committee to consider whether all items on the agenda should be webcast
RESOLVED: That all items on the agenda be web-cast.
46. Apologies
Apologies were received from Councillors Munford and De Wiggondene.
47. Notification of Substitute Members
Councillors Mrs Gooch and Burton substituted for Councillors Munford and De Wiggondene respectively.
48. Notification of Visiting Members/Witnesses
Councillor Garland, Councillor Pickett and Councillor Mrs Paterson were noted as a Visiting Members with an interest in all items on the agenda.
49. Disclosures by Members and Officers
There were no disclosures.
50. To consider whether any items should be taken in private because of the possible disclosure of exempt information
RESOLVED: That all items on the agenda be taken in public as proposed.
51. Minutes of the Meeting held on 15 October 2013.
The Committee highlighted two amendments to the minutes:
- That Councillor Springett be added to the list of those present; and
- That Councillor Burton be included as a Visiting Member.
RESOLVED: That the minutes of the minutes held on 15 October, subject to the two amendments highlighted, be agreed as a correct record and duly signed.
52. AMENDMENT TO ORDER OF BUSINESS
It was proposed that item 8, Maidstone Borough Local Plan Public Consultation Draft – Group 2 Policies and item 9, Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy be taken together.
RESOLVED: That item 8, Maidstone Borough Local Plan Public Consultation Draft – Group 2 Policies and item 9, Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy be taken together.
53. Maidstone Borough Local Plan Public Consultation Draft – Group 2 Policies & Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy
A Member of the Committee moved that the Committee had not had sufficient time to consider the reports and recommended that both items be deferred until a later date.
The Committee was informed that a meeting could be arranged on 2 December 2013 at 6.30pm which would fit with the decision timetable.
The motion was seconded. The Committee voted on the motion, 3 in favour with 6 abstentions. The motion was carried.
RESOLVED: That item 8, Maidstone Borough Local Plan Public Consultation Draft – Group 2 Policies and item 9, Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy be deferred and considered by the Committee on 2 December 2013.
54. Five Year Supply mid-year update
Emma Boshell, Planning Officer, Spatial Policy, introduced the report to the Committee. She explained that the update was in response to the recommendation made by the Committee at its meeting on 26 September 2013.
Ms Boshell explained that the report identified those sites that had been included in windfall; it included caveats and assumptions in its calculations. She referred the Committee to the table on page 208 of the agenda which showed the 5 year Housing Land Supply at April 2013 and the table on page 210 which reflected the position in September 2013 which showed that the shortfall had been reduced to -252.
In response to Members questions it was confirmed that completions and non-completion figures (for planning permissions) had not been included in the calculations presented. The officer explained that the guidance given by the NPPF was that monitoring should take place on an annual basis as the process was hugely resource intensive; it involved the whole team, taking a month to complete.
Members felt that the recommendation made at its meeting on 26 September which requested an update ‘at a mid-year point on planning permissions, windfall sites and non-completions’ had only been fulfilled in part.
The Committee considered sites such as the Kent Institute of Medicine & Surgery (KIMS) and the planning permissions granted for housing units. It queried how and when these would be included in Maidstone’s 5 year housing land supply calculations. Members also considered Houses in Multiple Occupancy (HMOs) and how they were calculated in terms of housing units.
It was explained that in the annual monitoring of planning permissions only included Class C3. The Committee was informed that there was a Class C3 element at the KIMS site in the allocation of homes for staff. With regards to HMOs further investigation was required to establish whether they were ‘self contained units’ and therefore Class C3.
In response to questions relating to completed and non-completed planning permissions, the Committee was informed that:
- Based on past trends completion rates had always exceeded non-completion rates; and
- The outline planning permissions for the housing units at KIMS may not fall into the Council’s current 5 year housing land supply.
It was explained that with smaller sites and where planning applications for ‘reserved matters’ had come forward it may be possible to include a completed planning permission with some certainty. With larger sites there would be a phased implementation. By meeting with house builders the Council was able to establish what planning permissions were likely to be completed, it was confirmed that the same process would be under taken with the KIMS site.
Visiting Member and Leader of the Council, Councillor Garland addressed the Committee in relation to meeting the 5 year housing land supply. He questioned the possibility and of a higher housing target (than the current 11,080) and therefore the negligible effect of further interim monitoring. In response to Members questions it was confirmed that at present, the housing target of 11,080 was arguably the best figure to date and was evidence based.
Mr Jarman explained that the 3 stage process that was to be undertaken to refresh the housing target:
- Stage 1 - Establish the Housing need;
- Stage 2- Establish what Maidstone can reasonably supply by evidencing gaps and constraints; and
- Stage 3 – Discussions with neighbouring authorities.
The Committee recommended that officers returned to update it on Maidstone’s housing need and what the Council could reasonably supply at stage 2 in the process described. It was confirmed that this would fit with the Committee’s February meeting date.
RESOLVED: That
a) The Committee be updated at its February meeting on Maidstone’s housing need and what the Council can reasonably supply at stage 2 in the process described.
55. Future Work Programme
The Committee considered its future work programme. It was agreed that an additional meeting should be scheduled for 2 December to consider the deferred items on the agenda.
Members felt that the existing December meeting date should be held at present with a view to cancelling the meeting, dependent on the outcome of the meeting on 2 December.
The Committee requested that special arrangements be made for the publication of reports scheduled to come to its January and February meetings; that they made available to it at least two weeks before the meeting date.
RESOLVED: That
a) An additional meeting should be scheduled for 2 December to consider the deferred items on the agenda; and
b) Special arrangements be made for the publication of reports scheduled to come to the Planning, Transport and Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s January and February meetings; that they made available to it at least two weeks before the meeting date.
56. Duration of meeting
6.35pm to 7.35pm