Agenda and minutes

27^th September 2023

It was moved by Councillor Roger Shelley, Seconded by Councillor Gareth Gee and

RESOLVED (unanimously)

That the minutes of the meeting of the Local Plan Sub-Committee held on 27 September 2023 be approved as a correct record.

The Chair declared the motion CARRIED.

To enable members of the public to ask questions, express views or present petitions, IF NOTICE HAS BEEN GIVEN, (by telephone, in writing or by email) BY NO LATER THAN 12 NOON OF THE WORKING DAY PRECEDING THE MEETING. As per Procedural Rule 14.4 at any one meeting no person may submit more than 3 questions and no more than 1 such question may be asked on behalf of one organisation.

Councillor Vicky Raynes spoke on behalf of Tansley Parish Council regarding Item 5, Derbyshire Dales Local Plan – Settlement Hierarchy.

18:06 – Councillor Edwards-Walker entered the meeting.

Members are required to declare the existence and nature of any interests they may have in subsequent agenda items in accordance with the District Council’s Code of Conduct. Those interests are matters that relate to money or that which can be valued in money, affecting the Member, their partner, extended family and close friends. Interests that become apparent at a later stage in the proceedings may be declared at the time.

There were no declarations of interest.

This report provides for Members information details of the key policy areas that the Local Plan review will seek to address in the future.

The Policy Manager introduced a report which provided Members with the details of key policy areas that the Local Plan review would seek to address in the future. The report informed Members of the requirement on each local planning authority to complete a review of the local plan every five years, starting from the adoption of the plan. In the case of the Derbyshire Dales, the review was required to be completed no later than December 2022, the commencement of this was formally endorsed by Council in November 2020.

The report informed Members of the work that had been completed to date, including the areas of work completed by consultants in order to ensure that the evidence base which underpinned the Derbyshire Dales Local Plan was up to date. It was noted that following this work a report was considered by Council which detailed the work undertaken and the areas which were determined as requiring modification to set a basis for future decisions on planning applications. A detailed schedule of all policies considered necessary to be revised were set out at appendix 1 to the report.

The key policy areas were summarised at paragraph 2.1 of the report, it was noted that whilst no detailed work had been completed on revisions to the wording of the policies in the Local Plan, given the comprehensive nature of the policy review it was considered that the areas identified remained valid and would continue to form the basis for future work on the Local Plan Policies.

It was moved by Councillor Martin Burfoot, Seconded by Councillor Gareth Gee and

RESOLVED (unanimously)

1.    That the key topic areas as set in Paragraph 2.1, in addition to the topics listed below, be noted.

-        The relationship between development landscaping requirements and biodiversity net gain.

-        The retrofitting of existing properties to advance progression towards net zero goals.

-        Ensuring that infrastructure is adequate to support development, specifically drainage.

-        Ensuring that policies are endorsed and supported by residents, developers, and the planning inspectorate.

-        A clear definition of ‘Thriving and Flourishing Communities’ be established for use in the development of policies.

-        That the equalities implications be considered throughout the process of policy development and implementation.

-        Renewable energy generation, at all spatial levels, to support the District in addressing the impacts of climate change.

-        Holiday and second homes, to enable the Local Plan to reflect the introduction in the Levelling Up Act of measures to bring their control within the scope of planning.

2.    That future reports be presented to this Sub Committee for consideration, and which set out details of new and revised policy wording for inclusion in the Derbyshire Dales Local Plan review.

The Chair declared the motion CARRIED.

This report sets out the outcomes of work that has been undertaken to review and update information relating to the assessment of the relative roles and functions of mid and lower tier settlements across the plan area and the extent to which they can contribute towards meeting future needs.

18:37 – Councillor Matt Buckler entered the meeting.

The Policy Manager introduced a report which set out the outcomes of work that had been undertaken to review and update information relating to the assessment of the relative roles and functions of mid and lower tier settlements across the plan area and the extent to which they could contribute towards meeting future needs.

The report recommended that Members note the findings of the updated settlement hierarchy assessment and that the contents of the assessment would be used to inform the strategic development framework in the Derbyshire Dales Local Plan. The full Settlement Hierarchy assessment was set out in Appendix 1 to the report.

It was moved by Councillor Lucy Peacock, Seconded by Councillor Matt Buckler and

RESOLVED (unanimously)

1.     That the Sub Committee notes the updated Settlement Hierarchy assessment as set out in Appendix 1.

2.     That the evidence from the updated Settlement Hierarchy Assessment be taken into account in the development of a revised strategy and policies for the location and scale of development within the revised Derbyshire Dales Local Plan.

3.     That a further report be presented to this Committee which utilises the evidence from the updated Settlement Hierarchy to develop an appropriate strategy for development across the plan area.

The Chair declared the motion CARRIED.

This report provides Members with details of the Derby, Derbyshire and East Staffordshire Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment 2023. It seeks Member endorsement of the contents of the report.

The Policy Manager introduced a report which provided Members with details of the Derby, Derbyshire and East Staffordshire Gypsy and Traveller Accomodation Assessment 2023. The report sought Member endorsement for the contents of the assessment which was included at Appendix 1 to the report.

It was noted within the report that the assessment research had made use of several data sources including:

-        An online survey and telephone interviews with key stakeholders regarding the accommodation needs of Gypsies, Travellers, Travelling Showpeople and boat dwellers.

-        A review of the secondary information: a review of national and local planning policies and recently undertaken similar assessments, and analysis of secondary data.

-        Surveys of Gypsies, Travellers, and Travelling Showpeople, covering a range of issues relating to accommodation and service needs.

It was also noted in the report that this updated evidence base would help the District Council to determine the extent to which Gypsy and Traveller site provision would need to be addressed in the future, through both policies and practical implementation.

It was moved by Councillor Gareth Gee, Seconded by Councillor David Hughes and

RESOLVED (unanimously)

1.     The contents of the Derby, Derbyshire and East Staffordshire Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment 2023 be endorsed.

2.     That the contents of the Derby, Derbyshire and East Staffordshire Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment be taken into account in the future review of the Derbyshire Dales Local Plan.

3.     A further report be brought to this Sub Committee which sets out policies and proposals that address the consequences of the Derby, Derbyshire and East Staffordshire Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment.

The Chair declared the motion CARRIED.

This report seeks support for additional staffing resources for the Planning Policy team to achieve the Progressive Alliance’s ‘fresh approach’ to the Derbyshire Dales Local Plan review within the timescales required by the Government and approved in the Derbyshire Dales Local Development Scheme 2023-2026.

The Policy Manager introduced a report which sought Member endorsement for the securing of additional staffing resources for the Planning Policy Team to achieve the Progressive Alliance’s ‘fresh approach’ to the Derbyshire Dales Local Plan review within the timescales required by the Government and approved in the Derbyshire Dales Local Development Scheme 2023-2026.

The report explained how the scope of the Local Plan review had recently been expanded and how the review had been prioritised highly by the leadership of the incoming administration. The current structure of the Planning Policy team was also covered within the report, this showed Members where the proposed additional resource would fit within the existing team and how this would provide the required improvement to resource capacity.

It was moved by Councillor Matt Buckler, Seconded by Councillor Martin Burfoot and

RESOLVED (unanimously)

1.     That the need for the appointment of additional staff within the Planning Policy team is noted.

2.     That the Local Plan Sub Committee supports the appointment of a Principal Planning Policy Officer.

3.     That Council be recommended to approve a supplementary revenue budget of £13,922 for 2023/24 for a Principal Planning Policy Officer from 1st January 2024 to 31 March 2024, to be funded from the Revenue Grants Unapplied Reserve, and to note that the estimated annual cost of £55,688 from 1st April 2024 will be built into the Medium-Term Financial Plan, financed from the Neighbourhood Planning Grant and the Custom Build Register Grant, that sit within the Revenue Grants Unapplied Reserve, until exhausted.

The Chair declared the motion CARRIED.