Minutes:
KP stated that RM had explained at the last meeting that some additional funding had been secured from Central Government and since then work has taken place to ascertain what the technical evidence priorities need to be going forwards. These are: Landscape character assessment/sensitivity study sports and leisure needs assessment and the infrastructure delivery plan. KP explained that currently the decision has been taken not to update the housing needs work because there was some additional information that was due out in the Spring.KP added need to be sure that there is a decent amount of base data on that.
KP stated at the last forum there was a discussion regarding call for sites process commencing in the Summer however this has been pushed back until the Autumn to give people the opportunity after the summer holidays to resubmit their sites. She explained that software namely ‘Placemaker’ by Urban Intelligence is being used and even if Agents and Developers are being asked to resubmit sites which have previous been recognised and submitted in the first call for sites in order that it can be added to the new system which will be the sites database used internally. KP added that once the call for sites data is completed then the housing land availability assessment will be able to be completed along with the employment land availability assessment.
KP stated that she is also actively encouraging submissions for habitat banks and she explained that if there are any pieces of land where it is not felt that they are suitable for employment or housing but where they could come forward for habitat banks specifically linked to biodiversity net gain then those submissions would be welcomed.
KP added that the 5-year land supply assessment has recently been finalised and has been published on the council’s website. She explained that it confirms that the council has 6.6 years’ worth of supply using the latest projections.
She explained that housing monitoring work for 24/25 which is being undertaken at the current time and over the summer additional monitoring work will be carried out concerning employment land and town centres. This information will be collected between late July and September, and a report will be taken to Full Council and Cabinet in September to provide an update on the status of the Local Plan and the next steps.
GS stated that once the call for sites is open how long will that run for before an updated Regulation 18 plan goes out for consultation.KP explained that there are no plans to go out for an updated Regulation 18 due to tight timescales however that it determined upon what the technical evidence states and whether there are substantive changes from the 2022 consultation document which there maybe due to the time lapse. She added that she had hoped to undertake some informal consultation throughout the Autumn. KP added that it is hoped to have an up-to-date housing and employment land availability assessment by the end of the year and it is likely to be a 6-week submission period, however that could be reopened early in 2026 for it to be updated again. KP stated that the benefit of using the Placemaker software is because it is an automated assessment, and it is not as officer time intensive as it works using spatial data and mapping sets in order to work out the suitability. She added that the fact the sites are being promoted confirms the availability side of things and there just needs to be some high-level checking with regards to the achievability and then a report can be published. KP explained that as the process should be less time intensive than has happened previously it will mean that call for sites can take place more regularly meaning that there will be an up-to-date understanding around availability.
KP stated that with regards to the call for sites Agents and Developers will be able to register on the site and that will allow for sites to be edited with details of the sites and any updated information can be added in order to reflect a more live and fluid conversation so that officers have an up to date picture concerning the sites and the intentions associated with them.
GS asked when Regulation 19 will be implemented and KP stated that the draft date is Summer 2026.