Agenda item

The Planning Policy Lead Officer, Mr Stimpson, provided the Committee with a summary of the main changes proposed in the consultation on the updated Draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the implications for the preparation of the Slough Local Plan.  The Committee was asked to approve the proposed responses as set out in Section 5 of the report.

The key points raised and noted during the discussion are summarised as follows:

·  The NPPF would continue to have a presumption in favour of sustainable development, however, the proposed changes were intended to clarify how this should be applied.

·  There was a rebalancing to promote meeting housing need and the main change to plan making was to set out an expectation for objectively assessed needs to be accommodated unless there were strong reasons not to, including any unmet needs from neighbouring areas.

·  There would be three tiers of plans – a Strategic Plan for 20 years, updated every five years; Local Plan; and Neighbourhood Plan of which there were none yet in Slough.  The Preferred Spatial Strategy being developed for Slough would appear to meet the concept of the Strategic Plan.

·  The importance of effective cooperation between local planning bodies and others was emphasised and this was welcome given the approach Slough with taking in addressing cross-boundary issues.

·  There was a change to the test of soundness of a plan from ‘the’ most appropriate strategy to ‘an’ appropriate strategy.  The draft Council response agreed with the proposed changes in this regard.

·  The Government had set a target to deliver 300,000 new homes per year and this would mean Slough’s requirement would fall slightly from an average of 927 to 912 per year.  The new methodology used was likely to increase the housing requirement more significantly in neighbouring areas.

·  A new housing delivery test would be introduced requiring authorities to deliver 25% of its housing requirement in 2018, 45% in 2019 and 75% from 2020.  Whilst it was expected that Slough would pass this test in the next two years, it was less certain that it would do so by 2020, and given the time it took for policy changes to effect building rates the Slough response proposed a longer phasing period.

·  It was proposed to make it easier to convert land in existing use but the Council made clear in its response that it did not support making it easier to convert employment land to housing where it would undermine the local economy and supply of jobs.

·  The NPPF would maintain strong protection of the Green Belt and clarification was provided on the use of “exceptional circumstances” to change Green Belt boundaries.  The Council welcomed the clarification.

Members asked a number of questions about the likely implications of the proposed changes for Slough including the impact on discussions with neighbouring authorities about the northern expansion.  Mr Stimpson commented that the proposals strengthened the requirement to cooperate with other authorities and the approach that Slough was taking with its neighbours such as the agreed Statements of Common Ground with most neighbouring authorities and the proposed ‘Joint Growth Study’ with Windsor & Maidenhead and South Bucks was consistent with the approach envisaged in the draft NPPF.  The operation of the new housing delivery test and the changes of the strategic planning process were also discussed.

At the conclusion of the discussion, the Committee noted the changes in the draft NPPF and agreed the proposed responses as set out in the report.

Resolved -

(a)  That the changes proposed in the Draft National Planning Policy Framework, as set out in the report, be noted.

(b)  That the proposed responses to the consultation on the National Policy Framework be agreed.