07 November 2017 – Agenda
SUMMONS TO ATTEND A MEETING OF NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN CONTINUITY COMMITTEE
TO:All Members of the Neighbourhood Plan Continuity Committee
Cllrs B Austin (Chairman), D Bretherton (Deputy Chairman), P Cowell, D Dodds, M Dyer, H Fickling, P Lambert, A Midwinter and M Stiles
Ex Officio (Voting) Members – T Wyse (Town Mayor) and L Emery (Deputy Mayor)
To: All other Members for information
VENUE: Upper Chamber, Thame Town Hall
DATE: Tuesday 7 November 2017
TIME: On the rising of the Planning & Environment Committee and not before 7pm
Graham Hunt
Clerk of the Council
Date: 1 November 2017
AGENDA
1. Apologies for Absence
2. Declarations of Interest and Dispensations
To notify of any items that appear in the agenda in which there may be an interest that has not been recorded in the Member’s Register of Interest; and confirmation of any relevant dispensations.
3. Public Participation and Public Questions
To consider applications from members of the public to address the Committee (5 minutes maximum), in respect of any item of business included in the agenda. Applications to speak must have been received by the Town Clerk no later than 5pm on the last working day preceding the meeting.
To consider questions from members of the public (who live, work or run a business in the Parish). Written questions must have been received by the Town Clerk no later than 4pm on the last working day preceding the meeting.
4. Minutes
To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the Committee Meeting held on 26 September 2017.
5. Working Groups
To receive a report / update from the chairmen of:
a) The NPCC Co-Ordination Working Group
b) The Infrastructure Delivery Plan Working Group
c) The Green Living Plan Working Group
d) The Town Centre Working Group
5d. Market Town Co-Ordinator Update – 7-11-17
e) Transport Plan Working Group
f) The Community Facilities Working Group
g) The Burial Space Working Group
6. South Oxfordshire District Local Plan
Following notice of the launch of the Local Plan Publication Version consultation on 11 October 2017 to note that the original consultation deadline has been extended until 30 November 2017. This was in order to allow for consultees to properly consider evidence base documents that were late. These were advertised as being the Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (October 2017) and the Local Plan Policies Map.
Other recent evidence base documents, all published in October 2017, include the Infrastructure Delivery Plan (written text and schedule); the Evaluation of Transport Impacts Stage 2, Development Scenarios and Mitigation Testing; the Draft Final Water Cycle Study, Phases 1 and 2; and the Heritage Impact Assessment.
Councillors Austin and Dyer and the NPCO attended a briefing meeting on the Publication Plan delivered by John Cotton and the Head of Strategic Planning, Holly Jones on 11 October 2017. It was made clear that despite proposed changes to the method of calculating housing need for an area, the District would be continuing with their Plan’s approach of providing housing to match desired economic growth. The slides shown at the briefing, plus notes made on the commentary and subsequent question and answer session were circulated to all Members on 12 October 2017.
A drop-in publicity event for the Publication Plan will be held in Thame Town Hall on Monday 13 November, 3pm – 7pm. This event has been organised and will be staffed by District planning officers.
Initial discussions of the Local Plan Consultation Team will be reported verbally, given the extra work involved in considering the above documents.
7. Vale of White Horse Local Plan
To note that the Vale of White Horse Local Plan 2031 Part 2: Detailed Policies and Additional Sites – Publication Version was released for consultation on 11 October. Consultation ends on 22 November 2017. There are no plans for Thame Town Council to respond.
8. Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan
To note that the latest version of the Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan (VALP) has been agreed by Aylesbury Vale District Council on 18 October 2017. The proposed submission plan was published for consultation on 2 November 2017. Consultation ends 14 December 2017.
9. Planning for the Right Homes in the Right Places
To note that the NPCO has drafted a reply to the Government’s proposed changes to both planning law and guidance that will be sent in time for the close of consultation on the 9 November 2017.
10. Section 106 Planning Obligations and CIL Regulation 123 List
To note that the Town Clerk sent notice of the Town Council’s support for the District’s proposed revisions to their S106 Planning Obligations document and CIL Regulation 123 List.
10. Consultation on Revised Section 106 Planning Obligations – Thame Town Council response
11. SODC Methodology Consultations
To note that the NPCO submitted a response to the consultation on the methodology used in the draft Local Plan and CIL Viability Assessment.
To note that the NPCO submitted a response to the consultation on Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability methodology.
11a. Draft Viability Assessment methodology consultation
11b. Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment
12. South and Vale Joint Housing Delivery Strategy
To note that the NPCO submitted a response to the consultation on the South and Vale Joint Housing Delivery Strategy.
12a. Joint Housing Delivery Strategy Consultation
13. Thame Neighbourhood Plan Revision
To note that the NPCO’s work on a project plan for the first activity, defining the neighbourhood plan area, has been suspended given the recent responses needed to District, neighbouring authority and Government consultations.
However there has been further discussion with a planning focussed Councillor at Great Haseley Parish Council.
The Budget Working Group has established an initial proposal for Neighbourhood Plan funding of £50k and £25k over the next two budget years, partially offset by the expected £15k Government Grant.
14. P17/S1069/FUL – The Elms 32 Upper High Street, Thame, OX9 2DN
To note that we were expecting a planning decision, but nothing has yet arrived.
15. Health Hub / Hallam Land
To note that a further meeting has taken place with SP Broadway / Hallam Land on 11 October 2017 at which they gave an update on further discussions with GPs on the Health Hub. Hallam Land remains concerned with the lack of NHS co-ordination and are now likely to submit a pre-application in an attempt to establish more clarity.
16. Cattle Market Site
To note that no further communications have been received from SODC on the future of the Cattle Market site.
17. Rycote Lane – Thame Farmers Auction Mart
To note that a meeting took place on Tuesday 3 October 2017 at which the Thame Farmers Auction Mart presented their proposals for the relocation of the Cattle Market.
An initial master plan was presented for the proposed site on Rycote Lane. This will be set well back, to allow for vehicles to queue on-site. A hedgerow will be planted / transplanted. The buildings will be surrounded by pastures to allow for occasional overnight grazing by animals before / after sale. The buildings will follow the natural contours and slope away from the road. A large, multi-purpose hall will run the length of the building and will be available for specialist sales / event hire. A café and small kiosks will support the sale day customers, as will two sizeable retail units at the front of the building. The auctions will still only take place on two days a week and all retail uses will be supportive of farming activities.
18. Affordable Housing / Community Land Trust
To note that following approval at Full Council on 15 August 2017 to set up a Community Land Trust Working Group. The Working Group met on 11 October 2017 and agreed further actions, including how to influence SODC policy in this area. A meeting with SODC has been requested as a priority, as more progress will be made if policies are aligned.
To note that the proposed “New residents survey” as discussed at the meeting on 8 August 2017 may now be merged with an already underway survey being executed by Oxfordshire County Council
19. Site Allocation Discussions
Following the lifting of the moratorium to note that:
a) A request has been received from Hunter Page to discuss a site in Moreton
b) The Persimmon intensification request, although unlikely to succeed, now falls within this site allocation discussion category.
c) There has been some correspondence on the outcomes of the Cala Homes meeting.
20. Letters to the Housing Minister
To note the responses (and subsequent “clarifications”) received from DCLG officers, in response to the letters to the Housing Minister, Alok Sharma MP on Permitted Development rights and the Written Ministerial Statement.
21. Neighbourhood Plan Support
Given Thame’s reputation for Neighbourhood Planning, and it’s ever increasing experience in life beyond the adoption of a Neighbourhood Plan, to note that:
a) The NPCO and Town Clerk have provided some support on the matter of the cancelled 120 bus service to Tetsworth Neighbourhood Plan Group. This was in order to assist them with a planning appeal. The advice was gratefully received.
b) The NPCO and Councillor Dyer gave a well-received presentation to delegates at the NALC National Conference on 31 October 2017.
22. Oxford – Cambridge Expressway
To note that various additional correspondence and information sharing has taken place with regard to the proposed Oxford to Cambridge Expressway, including a request to support an action group.
To consider if we are yet able to make a judgement on our position.