Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED – That in the absence of the Chair, Councillor Kate Butler be elected Chair of the Working Party for the duration of the meeting.

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 16 October 2017.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 16 October 2017 (copies of which had been circulated) were approved as a correct record.

Councillors and officers to declare any interests which they have in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

Councillors and officers were invited to declare any interests which they had in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

No declarations were made.

To consider a presentation.

Angie Jukes (CSS Senior Officer (Specialist - Technical Policy & Planning)) attended the meeting and made a presentation regarding the process of the sustainability appraisal undertaken in relation to the development of the Local Plan which was required to identify the likely environmental, economic and social impacts of the Local Plan. It was stated that the aim of the appraisal was to ensure the Local Plan delivered development that met the current needs of Stockport without impacting on the needs of future generations.

The following comments were made:-

·         In response to a question about the collation of baseline data, it was stated that there was a wealth of information available through the annual monitoring of the local plan and work had taken place over the previous six months to compile statistics relating to the delivery of housing and office developments, in addition to green belt and open space loss.  Further data was available from the Office for National Statistics, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment.

·         An assessment needed to be undertaken in relation to the quality of those jobs that had been created.  In response, it was commented that the work that was being undertaken would look at hours of employment and whether the work was ‘useful and satisfying’.

·         There was a suggestion that Core Strategy Policy AS-3 had been successful in controlling hot food takeaways within the vicinity of schools; however a member commented that the former post office on Hulme Hall Road had obtained planning permission despite being within close proximity to two schools.  Further information was requested in relation to the specific circumstances surrounding the grant of planning permission in this case.

RESOLVED – That the repot be noted.

To consider a report of the Chief Planning Officer.

The report provides an update on the progress of the GMSF and to explain the interrelationship between the work on brownfield sites and the allocation of new housing sites in the Spatial Framework.

The Working Party is recommended to comment on and note the report.

Officer contact: Adrian Fisher on 0161-474-3452 or email: adrian.fisher@stockport.gov.uk

The Interim Chief Planning Officer submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update on the progress of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework and to explain the interrelationship between the work on brownfield sites and the allocation of new housing sites in the Spatial Framework.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         The Council had engaged consultants to test the viability of some of the proposed green belt allocations, and the Council was due to receive interim assessments before the end of 2017.  It was requested that this report form the basis of an item which would be included on the agenda for the next meeting of the Working Party.

·         The Council did not have the in-house capacity or specialist skills needed to undertake the level of master planning work needed to undertake the allocations assessments.

·         It was important that as the second draft of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework was released in June 2018, those groups and organisations working on the development of neighbourhood plans were appraised of any impact the proposals may have on the progression of those plans.

·         There was an issue around those sites which had planning permission for residential development but which had not been implemented, and further work needed to be done on a site-by-site basis to establish why those developments had not progressed.

·         There was a need to ensure that a balance was struck between any release of greenbelt land and the prioritisation of undeveloped brownfield land along with the pressure to ensure that there was a suitable pace of development to meet the Borough’s assessed housing need.

·         Larger scale developments allowed the planning authority to impose requirements around funding for associated infrastructure necessary to support that development which was not feasible for smaller-scale infill development which nonetheless had a cumulative impact on those facilities.

·         A member of staff had been seconded to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to work on the development of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework as part of an agreement which all 10 districts had agreed to, however it was noted that not all districts had yet fulfilled their obligation to do the same. 

·         A discussion took place in relation to the phasing of development with particular regard to affordable housing being built out in the latter stages of a development which caused unnecessary delays to those in greatest housing need securing their home.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Chief Planning Officer.

The report sets out what a Brownfield Land Register is, what the government’s stated purpose is and how this aligns with other work the Council is carrying out in respect of brownfield land and housing land assessment.

The Working Party is recommended to comment on and note the report.

Officer contact: Steve Johnson on 0161 474 3509 or email: steven.johnson@stockport.gov.uk

The Interim Chief Planning Officer submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) outlining what a Brownfield Land Register was, what the government’s stated purpose was and how this aligned with other work the Council was carrying out in respect of brownfield land and housing land assessment.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         It was important that landowners of sites put forward for inclusion on the brownfield register were contacted to ascertain their views on the potential for the release of that land for development.

·         The Council had adopted a proactive approach to the monitoring and delivery of new development which aimed to track and update the delivery of development on the ground and which would allow the Council to assist in the smooth transition between planning approval and start on site.

·         The Council was in contact with businesses with large property holdings in the Borough to understand their approach to any release of land which might have the potential to support residential development.

·         Although the Council was not currently considering the inclusion of any sites within Part 2 of the Brownfield Land Register, which would include sites for which ‘Permission in Principle’ had been granted, it was important that if at any stage it chose to do so, members retained involvement in the granting of any such consents though the development control process.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.