Minutes:
Gemma Wildman provided an update to the Forum members and advised them that the consultation closed a couple on the 19 October. She explained that the comments are all currently being processed and stated that there has been a very good response with 506 emails having been received and most of the emails contain more than one comment which are taking a considerable time to process. Gemma advised that there have also been additional sites, green spaces and changes to settlement boundaries which have all needed to be reviewed and the hope is to have the process reviewed by the end of November so that the Key Issues Report can be publicised and then if necessary, add it to the SHELA report to show what additional sites have been suggested and reviewed.
Gemma Wildman pointed out that the current timetable that it published in the adopted LDS shows that the proposed submission consultation would be held in January, but the comments are still being processed and the extra evidence and it is clear that the timetable deadline will not be met and therefore the timetable is being reviewed.
She pointed out that it is likely that the next stage of the process will be in July, which is after the Councils elections in May. Gemma explained that there has been a wide range of comments on many different subjects and on a few of the larger sites that have been objections from different residents’ groups.
Victoria from Maxey Grounds asked why the East Wisbech allocation has been removed from the proposed Local Plan. She asked what the planning reasons are with regard to its removal. Gemma Wildman explained that it had also been made clear at the start that all existing BCP and strategic sites would not be rolled forward and they were all going to be assessed and reviewed individually and every landowner was going to have to suggest their sites to the council to ensure that they were included in the plan. She stated that the piece of work was undertaken and there were some viability issues identified associated with the site to the east of Wisbech and all of the different options were looked at and the decision was taken at a strategic level to not include the East Wisbech allocation and that there are sufficient sites across other parts of the district that can deliver the councils housing numbers. Gemma Wildman explained that it was felt that the site was not going to be as deliverable and would take a long time to come forward and it was felt that there were other sites available. Councillor Mrs Laws stated that it had been advertised that an existing BCPs from the 2014 had not been deliverable there was now the opportunity for landowners to come forward and then for each site to be assessed on its own merits.
Victoria stated that therefore it is only Flood Zone 1 land around Wisbech and from a sequential testing point of view in her opinion, it makes no sense as to why it has been removed and with regards to deliverability which has been a issue in the past, now there are two major applications in for parts of that site with a couple more coming forward soon. Gemma Wildman stated that as part of the consultation all of the comments were reviewed, and the housing numbers have had to be revisited again as well as looking again at the comments, objections and planning applications which have been submitted and then use all that information to make a decision as to what sites are to be carried forward.
NH stated that we have published reports on how we have arrived at the decisions and if people have not been content with those decisions, then the opportunity was available to submit their views and comments and put forward alternative evidence when they made their representations on the draft plan. He added that with regards to the current situation, the existing Local Plan is still in existence and applications received are primarily determined in accordance with the plan policy.
Councillor Mrs Laws questioned whether there has been much comment with regard to certain villages being excluded. NH stated that currently we cannot answer that question, as the representations are still being reviewed. He added that he is sure that there will be those settlements who feel that should have been allocated more.
Councillor Mrs Laws explained that the comments that have been received will receive responses as it is important to keep the communication lines open. Gemma Wildman explained that acknowledgements are being sent on receipt of the email being received.