Issue - meetings

To consider any Part I business accepted by the Chair as urgent.

Holding Direction – SG1 planning application

The Strategic Director (TP) reported that, on 19 January 2021, the Council received notification from the Government that, after a period of consideration, the Secretary of State had opted not to call-in the SG1 planning application.  This application had been subject to a holding direction, in place since late October 2020, following the decision of the Council’s Planning & Development Committee to grant planning permission to the application.  The Local MP for Stevenage had made the initial request to the Secretary of State that he call-in the application.

The Strategic Director (TP) advised that the Secretary of State had concluded that the determination of the application should remain with the Local Planning Authority and, as such, the holding direction had been withdrawn.  This allowed the scheme to the next stages required in the planning process.

Members were delighted to hear this news.  The Chair thanked officers, the Chair of the Planning & Development Committee, MACE (the developer), the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership and the Stevenage Development Board for their efforts and continued support in securing a lifting of this holding direction.