Agenda item

Report number PLA447 by the Head of Planning Policy and Economic Regeneration.       (attached)

DECISION:

(1)    To endorse the Urban Capacity Study as presented for consultation;

(2)    To endorse for consultation purposes the new housing policy (as detailed in report PLA477) to replace policies H6 and H7 of the adopted South Kesteven Local Plan for use as an interim measure in determining planning applications for new housing proposals;

(3)    That delegated authority be granted to the Head of Planning Policy & Economic Regeneration and the Economic Portfolio holder to prepare and approve an Interim Housing Policy Statement to explain and justify this new policy;

(4)    That the policy and supporting statement be presented for public consultation.

Considerations/Reasons for Decision:

(1)     Report number PLA477 by the Head of Planning Policy and Economic Regeneration outlining the findings of the Urban Capacity Study prepared as background evidence for the Local Development Framework (LDF).  A fundamental part of the LDF will be the allocation of specific sites for housing development to meet the strategic requirements for the district currently set out in the Lincolnshire structure plan;

(2)     Public consultation on the study before it is finalised will engender greater confidence in the findings and assist the spirit of greater community involvement in the early stages of the plan process;

(3)     As the timetable for preparing the LDF documents is protracted and planning applications continue to be made for housing development sites across the district.  Many of these applications concern unsuitable locations and Greenfield development.  This means that it is essential that action is taken now to ensure that the strategic housing requirement is not grossly exceeded.  An Interim Housing Policy Statement has been prepared to address this issue.  The statement clearly shows existing housing supply and that which is predicted by the urban capacity study.  The conclusion of this evidence of housing supply is that new housing development within the district must be restricted.  National and regional policy also emphasises the need to ensure sustainable patterns of development.  A policy statement would address this in order to demonstrate and justify the introduction of a new Interim Policy to replace policies H6 and H7 of the adopted South Kesteven Local Plan.

(4)     The Head of Planning Policy and Economic Regeneration to address the issue of exemption within the Policy for the delivery of affordable housing within urban locations.

Other Options considered and assessed:

(1)    The alternative option would be to maintain the current situation, where policies H6 and H7 of the Local Plan continue to be used to determine planning applications for new houses and await the preparation for the Housing and Economic Development Policy DPD in the LDF.  In the draft timetable this plan should be adopted by the end of 2007.  If the completion rates continue at a similar level to the previous 4 years (between 550 – 600) during this 2 ½ year period, by the end of March 2007 it is likely that  a total of 3200 houses will have been built and that some 4000 dwellings will have planning permission.  A number of these permissions will include new greenfield sites which will have gained permission during the two years since 2004.  Whilst some of the new permissions are likely to be on identified urban capacity sites it is probable that a large number will also be on sites in less sustainable locations and on greenfield sites. 

(2)   The consequences of continuing this approach is that the Structure Plan requirement for the district could be met by actual completions and commitments by 2010, some ten years early.  Presenting the possibility of a ten year period during which no housing development will be permitted.