Agenda item

To note a report on decisions taken by the Assistant Director Planning and Regulatory in accordance with his delegated authority.

It was RESOLVED that the Information Report – Appeals/Called in Applications be noted.

 

The Head of Planning and Enforcement gave an update to the Committee on the Local Plan Partial Review (2024).

 

The Head of Planning and Development advised that one of the keys areas for change was creation of policies in relation to climate change. Also some of the policies include improvement of the town and the infrastructure, creating a stronger position in terms of architecture of the town and emphasising the garden city principles with the town and country association.

 

The key amendments outlined in the review of the 2019 Local Plan were summarised as follows:

 

• Climate change policies would be placed at the top of the Council’s Strategic Planning Policies. The Council was seeking the right balance of new low carbon homes and investment in retrofitting existing homes, alongside new jobs, infrastructure whilst protecting the towns green spaces and cultural assets, echoing the Town and Country Planning Association Garden City principles that the original new town was founded on.

• Deletion of Policy SP1: Presumption in favour of sustainable development and replaced with new Policy SP1: Climate change to reflect the changed priority for the Local Plan to address climate change issues and challenges.

• Amendment of Policy SP2: Sustainable development in Stevenage included an amendment to clause A. which added an additional requirement for developments to demonstrate the promotion or provision of local green jobs during its construction or operation.

• Amendment to Policy SP11: Climate Change, flooding, and pollution to consider flooding and pollution only and replaced with Policy SP11: Flooding and pollution.

 

New chapter of detailed Climate Change policies:

 

Policy CC1: Energy efficiency which would set CO² emissions targets and contributions to a Carbon Offset Fund where these could not be met on-site.

 

Policy CC2: Heating and cooling to prevent overheating and limit the use of energy-dependent cooling systems.

 

Policy CC3: Water efficiency to set water use targets for new development.

 

Policy CC4: Energy infrastructure to encourage new ultra-low and zero carbon energy infrastructure.

 

Policy CC5: Carbon sinks to protect existing carbon sinks and encourage net gains in carbon sequestration.

 

Policy CC6: Green roofs and walls to encourage new green roofs and green walls.

 

Policy CC7: Digital connectivity to encourage the installation of high-speed digital infrastructure.

 

Policy CC8: The green economy to support the principles of a circular economy and encourage the creation of local green jobs.

 

Deletion of Policy FP1: Climate Change and replacement with new Policy FP1: Sustainable drainage to reflect change in Plan structure and to ensure that: Major and minor developments utilise sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) wherever possible; Surface water run-off is not increased; Developments incorporate green, surface level features (e.g. ponds and swales) wherever possible; and Underground attenuation features and impervious surfaces are only used where unavoidable.

 

Deletion of Policy FP2: Flood risk in Flood Zone 1 and Policy FP3: Flood risk in Zones 2 and 3 and replacement with new comprehensive Policy FP2: Flood risk management to emphasise: the protection and re-naturalisation of watercourses; the protection and potential future enhancement of flood defences; and the presence of other potential sources of flooding e.g. surface water and ground water.

 

Revision of Policy NH5: Trees and woodlands to provide: a strong presumption against the loss of deterioration of trees and woodland, a new tree replacement standard to apply to all losses of individual trees regardless of their health, ranging from 1 to 21 trees for each tree felled, woodland replacement in accordance with statutory biodiversity net gain (BNG), long-term management of any replacement woodland; and financial contributions where tree or woodland replacement cannot be provided on-site.

 

New Policy NH5b: Tree lined streets to reflect national planning policy on new streets being tree lined with trees.

 

Amended Policy TC4: Station Gateway Major Opportunity Area which changes allocation from zero carbon / low caron employment office space and public realm and to reflect the two rounds of public consultation held on the Area Action Plan.

 

New Policy HO14: Houses in multiple occupation to clarify that proposals for new Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) must have regard to relevant SPDs e.g. the Parking Provision and Sustainable Transport SPD 2020.

 

Amended Policy HO5: Windfall sites which removes duplication of other policy requirements as set out in the Local Plan.

 

New Policy GD2: Design certification which has been introduced to reflect national planning policy changes on design.

 

Policies and supporting text revised throughout to reflect the amended Use Classes Order.

 

An Officer reported a new glossary to define various terms for the purposes of the Plan.

 

Other minor changes included change of textual references to Use Classes Orders since 2020 and updated based on practice with application of planning policies in determining planning applications since 2019.

 

Members were advised that in accordance with paragraph 48 of the NPPF (2023) with regards to the determination of planning applications, it states: Local planning authorities may give weight to relevant policies in emerging plans according to: a) the stage of preparation of the emerging plan (the more advanced its preparation, the greater the weight that may be given); b) the extent to which there are unresolved objections to relevant policies (the less significant the unresolved objections, the greater the weight that may be given); and c) the degree of consistency of the relevant policies in the emerging plan to this Framework (the closer the policies in the emerging plan to the policies in the Framework, the greater the weight that may be given).

 

The Officer advised that the Council as Local Planning Authority would need to consider the Stevenage Local Plan 2011-2031 Partial Review (2024) as it is now material in the determination of all planning applications. The Addendum report provided a detailed assessment of the proposal against the relevant policies summarised below.

 

Policy HO5: Windfall sites Planning permission for residential development on unallocated sites would be granted where: a. The site was on previously developed land or is an underused urban site; and b. Proposals would not prejudice the Council’s ability to deliver residential development on allocated sites.

 

Policy HO6: Redevelopment of existing homes Planning permission for schemes resulting in the change of use or redevelopment of existing homes for non-residential purposes will be granted where: a. It would provide a small-scale social, health, community or leisure facility or a small-scale extension to an existing business use in the same building; and b. A suitable, alternative non-residential site was not available for the proposed use.

 

Policy HO10: Sheltered and supported housing on large developments in excess of 200 units, an element of sheltered and / or supported accommodation within use classes C3 should be provided where practicable and consistent with the above criteria as part of the general housing mix requirements of Policy HO9. The new neighbourhoods to the north and west of Stevenage should additionally include an element of accommodation in use class C2 as part of a comprehensive offer. Schemes that would result in a net loss of sheltered or supported housing will not normally be permitted.

 

Policy HO11: Accessible and adaptable housing at least 10% of dwellings within major residential developments to which Part M of the Building Regulations applies should comply with optional standard M4(3)(b) for wheelchair user dwellings, with a further 40% complying with optional standard M4(2) for accessible and adaptable dwellings. Minor residential developments which meet these standards will be strongly supported.

 

Policy TC11: New convenience retail provision New Class E(a) convenience retail floorspace provision will be expected to follow the sequential test and the Borough's retail hierarchy.

 

Policy HC1: District, local and neighbourhood centres – making sure the policy aligns with the use class order for shops.

 

 

 

Policy CC2: Heating and cooling -  development proposals should optimise solar gain to limit overheating and minimise demand for energy dependent cooling systems, through the application of the following cooling hierarchy: a. Reduce the amount of heat entering a building through orientation, shading, high albedo materials, fenestration, insulation and the provision of green infrastructure b. Minimise internal heat generation through energy efficient design c. Manage the heat within the building through exposed internal thermal mass and high ceilings d. Provide passive ventilation e. Provide mechanical ventilation f. Provide active cooling systems Major development proposals must demonstrate how this will be achieved through an energy statement. Permission will be refused for proposals which rely on energy dependent cooling systems unless it is demonstrated that their use is essential.

 

Policy CC3: Water efficiency - development Proposals involving the creation of new dwellings must ensure that water consumption did not exceed 110 litres per person per day, including external water use.

 

Policy CC6: Green roofs and walls - development proposals should incorporate green roofs and green walls unless there were clear and convincing reasons for not doing so. Where appropriate, development proposals which incorporate biosolar roofs will be strongly supported.

 

Policy CC7: Digital connectivity - development proposals should ensure that sufficient ducting space for full fibre connectivity infrastructure is provided to all end users unless an affordable alternative 1Gb/s capable connection is made available.

 

Policy CC8: The green economy - development proposals which demonstrate consistency with the principles of a circular economy would be strongly supported.

 

Policy NH5a: Trees and Woodland - all development proposals which involve works to, or within the vicinity of, existing trees, or woodland must be accompanied by an arboricultural impact assessment (AIA) at the application stage.

 

Policy NH5b: Tree lined streets - development proposals involving the creation of new streets must ensure that those streets are tree-lined unless there are clear, justifiable, and compelling reasons why this would be inappropriate.

 

Policy IT4: Transport assessments and travel plans Planning permission would be granted where: development would not have an unacceptable impact upon highway safety; the development reflected the principles of the Stevenage Mobility Strategy; schemes exceeding the relevant thresholds are accompanied by a satisfactory Transport Statement or Assessment, which demonstrated that the residual cumulative impacts of development were not severe.

 

Policy SP11: Flooding and Pollution – The Council would work to minimise flood risk and all forms of pollution.

 

Policy FP1: Sustainable Drainage, all major and minor development proposals must incorporate sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) unless there are clear and convincing reasons for not doing so.

 

FP2: Flood Risk management - all development proposals must: ensure that flood risk is not increased, whether on-site or elsewhere;

 

A Councillor queried how the policies affect planning applications that had been previously granted by the committee. The Head of Planning and Environment stated that the Council could not apply the policies to applications that had been granted permission prior to there being regulations. If the decision had been issued the council could not apply the policies but if not, it could be reassessed by officers and the committee. It was queried if appeals would be affected by the new policies, the Officer stated the inspectors were aware of the changes.