Minutes:
Nick Harding advised that appeal hearings and enquiries are now being held in person, but a consultation exercise is taking place to see if these can be held remotely.
The biodiversity metric 3 has now been published and is on the CLG website along with a consultation on the small site metric which finishes in October and he recommended that agents and developers have a look at it as it may prove to be helpful.
He advised that the Government had proposed an 18-month short and direct approach to the preparation of local plans, including a traffic light system for development and zoning, but there has been a significant pushback from some politicians and therefore Government had originally said they would report back on the consultation this month, however it now seems likely that they are going to rethink the Local Plan reforms and go back out into consultation on them.
Nick Harding also advised that Michael Gove is the new Secretary of State with the planning portfolio.
John Maxey advised the forum that he has some experience with the larger biodiversity metric, and he added that the production of one is not as complicated as it may seem. He explained that it looks at recording what is being done on site and it gives it some value to looking at biodiversity information.
Nick Harding highlighted the changes to the NPPF:
Paragraph 73, where it states that large allocation should be supported by genuine choice of transport modes and maps, plans, design guides and codes should be used to secure a variety of well-designed homes to meet the needs of different groups in the community and he added that in the new local plan larger development schemes will be looked at to reflect the housing needs that have come out of our research in the local area.
Paragraph 98, it states that the council should proactively work with agents and developers to ensure the required facilities that are needed to support the development are discussed and delivered as part of the application process. Nick Harding added that Fenland has significant viability challenges, and it makes it difficult to deliver against that paragraph of the NPPF.
Paragraph 110 refers to the design of streets, parking areas, transportation elements which should reflect the national guidance including the national design guide and the national model design code.
Paragraph 128, the council needs to prepare designs guides and codes which should reflect the national guidance.
Paragraph 131: The Government is looking for street trees to be included as part of the design for development layouts.
Paragraph 134: Gives local authorities support for refusing poorly designed developments.
Paragraph 166 - Flood resilience has to be designed in and there are revisions to the vulnerability categories in the associated appendices to the NPPF.
John Maxey stated that with regard to Paragraph 98, at pre app stage, officers will engage with Agents and Developers to discuss the merits of an application however there are instances where there is a barrier with regard to technical matters addressed at pre app stage such as Highways which are often the key matters at pre application stage, and he asked whether there was the possibility of getting the County Council to engage more than they currently do. Nick Harding advised that the County Council as well as the Environment Agency all have their own pre application services and that has the effect of making the whole process fragmented as there are a series of organisations which need to be consulted rather than just the Council acting as a conduit for everything. He added that there is a new Director for Transportation at the County Council and as part of her role she will be invited to meet with Fenland District Council so she can gain a better understanding of the issues and challenges surrounding transportation in the district and this could be something that could be raised.
John Maxey asked whether the preparation of design guides and codes under Paragraph 128, will form part of an appendix in the new Local Plan and Nick Harding advised it will be a separate document.