Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Executive Councillor (Economic Development & Regeneration)

The report seeks the Executive’s approval of the Woodford Aerodrome Opportunity Site Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) and its adoption as part of the Stockport Local Development Framework (LDF). The SPD has been subject to public consultation and has been considered by the Planning & Highways Regulation Committee, Bramhall & Cheadle Hulme South Area Committee and the Environment & Economy Scrutiny Committee.

The Executive is recommended to approve adoption of the Woodford Aerodrome Opportunity Site Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) as part of the Stockport Local Development Framework (LDF).

Officer contact: Paul Lawrence/ Richard Wood, 0161 474 4515/ 4386 paul.lawrence@stockport.gov.uk  / richard.wood@stockport.gov.uk

The Executive Councillor (Economic Development & Regeneration) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Executive Meeting to consider the final draft of the Woodford Aerodrome Opportunity Site Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) which set out the environmental, social, design and economic objectives relevant to and which would guide development and use of land at the site within the boundary of Stockport. The SPD had been subject to consultation with local residents and interested parties, as well as the Bramhall & Cheadle Hulme South Area Committee, the Planning & Highways Regulation Committee and the Environment & Economy Scrutiny Committee.

The Executive Councillor (Economic Development & Regeneration) thanked all those who had taken part in the consultation and stated that the draft SPD had been amended in light of some of the suggestions received.

The Executive Councillor (Economic Development & Regeneration) highlighted the recommendation of the Bramhall & Cheadle Hulme South Area Committee that the final SPD be subject to further consultation. The Executive Councillor stated that he believed the SPD had been subject to a thorough and comprehensive consultation process and that resolution was needed to ensure the Council had a policy in place against which to determine an anticipated planning application.

The Executive Councillor (Economic Development & Regeneration) also referred to two further correspondence received since publication of the report. The first was from Mark Hunter MP raising a number of questions and it was stated that a response to these would be made available to anyone who wished to see it. The second was from a resident questioning the legality of the SPD. A representative of the Service Director (Legal & Democratic Services) confirmed that Counsel had reaffirmed that the SPD met all necessary legal requirements.

Finally, the Executive Councillor (Economic Development & Regeneration) reported that following discussion between the Council and Woodford Community Council, two revisions were proposed to the SPD.

Executive councillors then asked a number of questions about the SPD.

RESOLVED – (1) That the Woodford Aerodrome Opportunity Site Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) be approved as part of the Stockport Local Development Framework, subject to the following amendments:-

·         Under paragraph 2.8, replace reference to Avro 718 with Avro 748

·         Under paragraph 5.10, replace existing text with “The Council has considered three principal options for the approach to the distribution of development on the site each of which could be delivered in accordance with relevant development plan policies so as to meet identified needs in terms of, for example, housing mix, density, open space and play provision. Any pattern of development proposed in a planning application will be required to demonstrate that it is in general conformity with all relevant development plan policies or that other material considerations exist which justify a departure from those policies. The options are represented diagrammatically as the following three concepts:”

(2) That the recommendation of the Bramhall & Cheadle Hulme South Area Committee from 10 December 2012 be noted but that the Executive believes that sufficient consultation has already been undertaken and that to delay further the adoption of the SPD would hinder the Council in determining any future planning application.

(3) That the Service Director (Place Development) be requested to make clear to any developer before the submission of an application for the Woodford site the Council’s requirement for sustainability.

To consider a report of the Service Director (Place Development)

The report details the amended version of the draft Woodford Aerodrome Opportunity Site Supplementary Document (SPD) which has been developed following a six week public consultation which ended on 15 October 2012.

The SPD is also to be considered by the Planning and Highways Regulation Committee on 6 December and the Bramhall and Cheadle Hulme South Area Committee on 10 December prior to approval of the SPD being sought at the Executive Meeting on 7 January 2013.

The Scrutiny Committee is asked to note the contents of the report and the proposed amendments to the Woodford Aerodrome Opportunity Site Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).

Officer contacts: Paul Lawrence/Richard Wood on 0161 218 4515/0161 474 4386 or e mail: paul.lawrence@stockport.gov.uk/richard.wood@stockport.gov.uk

The Service Director (Place Development) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing the amended version of the draft Woodford Aerodrome Opportunity Site Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) which had been developed following public consultation lasting six weeks which ended on 15 October 2012.

The SPD had also been considered by the Planning and Highways Regulation Committee on 6 December 2012 and at an extraordinary meeting of the Bramhall and Cheadle Hulme South Area Committee on 10 December 2012, prior to approval for the SPD being sought at an extraordinary meeting of the Executive on 14 January 2013.

With the agreement of the Committee, a member of the public was permitted to put a question which he had submitted prior to the meeting requesting that the Scrutiny Committee endorse the recommendation of the Bramhall and Cheadle Hulme South Area Committee that consideration of the SPD be deferred from the meeting of the Executive in January to allow for a further period of public consultation on the revised proposals.

The Service Director (Place Development) attended the meeting and made a presentation in relation to the principal changes that had been made to the SPD following the consultation process.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

•      With regard to legal advice, the Council had received Counsel’s advice, particularly with regard to planning policy and the ‘fall back’ position with regard to the range of lawful uses within the site which could continue or could in principle be reintroduced without the need for a further grant of planning permission. It was recognised that it would be helpful if there was on-going dialogue between the legal advisers of Stockport Council and those of Woodford Community Council.

•      There was no conflict between the SPD and Stockport Council’s adopted Core Strategy.

•      The amended SPD highlighted three principal options as illustrative concepts, but alternative schemes could also be considered.

•      Without a SPD, the Council would fall back on the adopted Core Strategy and National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The NPPF was more permissive than previous policy guidance and may lead to development in excess of the 42 hectares of the existing Major Existing Developed Site (MEDS).

•      The SPD stated that 2 hectares of business use were considered appropriate for the site, as well as the retention of the 2.53 hectares currently occupied by Oxford Aviation and 0.5 hectares for other local centre uses.

•      Any planning application would have to be accompanied by a full traffic assessment. The Council had not currently carried out any traffic assessments, but had been in discussions about the methodology to be used with Cheshire East Council.

•      The original proposal had been that the SPD would be a joint document with Cheshire East Council, but this had not proved possible because Cheshire East Council did not have an approved Core Strategy and the development site was within the borough of Stockport. A number of informal consultative mechanisms had currently been established at an Officer level between the local authorities and there were proposals to establish a formal development group involving Manchester City Council, Cheshire East Council and Stockport Council upon which Councillor Iain Roberts, Executive Councillor (Economic Development and Regeneration), would be the Council’s representative.

•      Concern had been expressed by residents about the ability of motorists to access and egress the site as there were only two access points.

•      A Member felt that the single entry primary school should have planning conditions attached to it so that there would be the capacity for it to expand to become a two form entry primary school should that be considered necessary in the future.

•      Whether there was a precedent set by the proposals on development applications in other areas of the borough.

•      The transfer in responsibility for commissioning new health facilities from the Primary Care Trusts to the Clinical Commissioning Groups had caused  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3

To consider a report of the Service Director (Place Development)

The report details the amended version of the draft Woodford Aerodrome Opportunity Site Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) which has been developed following a six week public consultation which ended on 15 October 2012 and which included the consideration of the comments made at the meeting of the Area Committee on 11 October 2012.

The SPD is also scheduled to be considered by the Planning and Highways Regulation Committee on 6 December and the Environment and Economy Scrutiny Committee on 18 December 2012 prior to approval for the SPD being sought at the meeting of the Executive on 7 January 2013.

The Committee is asked to note the contents of the report and the proposed amendments to the Woodford Aerodrome Opportunity Site (SPD).

Officer contact: Richard Wood on 0161 474 4386, email: richard.wood@stockport.gov.uk

The Service Director (Place Development) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing the amended version of the draft Woodford Aerodrome Opportunity Site Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) which had been developed following a six week public consultation which ended on 15 October 2012 and which included the consideration of the comments made at the meeting of the Area Committee on 11 October 2012.

The SPD had also been considered by the Planning and Highways Regulation Committee on 6 December and was scheduled to be considered by the Environment and Economy Scrutiny Committee on 18 December 2012 prior to approval for the SPD being sought at the meeting of the Executive on 7 January 2013.

The Service Director (Place Development) attended the meeting and made a presentation in relation to the principal changes that had been made to the SPD following the consultation process.

The following comments made/ issues raised:-

·         Members of the public had previously expressed the view that any development should be restricted to the site of the existing ‘Major Existing Development Sites’ (MEDS) which had now been incorporated into the SPD as ‘Concept A’.  However any access to the southerly part of this development would need to be via a new access road through the area from Chester Road.

·         It was noted that in Concepts A and B the proposed primary school would form part of the developable area thereby reducing the potential number of houses that could be built, which was not the case in Concept C which therefore provided more land for homes.

·         It was the responsibility of the developer to select a preferred concept when submitting a planning application for the use of the site.  It was further commented that the eventual application may look different to any of the proposed concepts in the SPD or be a hybrid of them all.

·         Concern was expressed in relation to traffic generation and its impact on the Woodford, Bramhall and Cheadle Hulme areas prior to the construction of the A555 link road.

·         It was highlighted that there was an apparent significant variation in housing density between existing development in Woodford which was in the range of 9-12 per hectare nearest the development area, and the proposals for the site of between 22-24 houses per hectare.

·         A member commented on the impact of the loss of green belt land to development.

·         The revised SPD provided for a development of houses in the range of 750-850 which had reduced from the original draft which had provided for 950.  This had been achieved by reducing the housing density from 30 houses per hectare which was usually the Council’s minimum to a level which more closely reflected the nature of existing development in the Woodford area.

·         There had been approximately 700 individual comments received to the consultation, and the responses to these would be published as part of the report that would be submitted to the Executive on 7 January 2012.

·         The only access onto the development site would be from Chester Road save for any additional emergency access which may need to be catered for.

·         The addition of employment land within the revised SPD was welcomed, although it was commented that the proposed level of provision was on the low side.

·         It was important that the development of the onsite primary school should be of such a size as to be able to sufficiently cater for the number of pupils in the area.

·         It was commented that the concerns of residents may have been allayed if the developer had been told they could only build on the footprint of the existing factory buildings and not on any land that was currently open land.  In response, it was stated that the MEDS had been defined by an independent planning inspector as those locations on which development had already had an existing negative impact on the green belt.

·         It  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2

Woodford Aerodrome Opportunity Site Draft Supplementary Planning Document

To consider a report of the Service Director (Place Development).

The report details the draft Woodford Aerodrome Opportunity Site Supplementary Document during the statutory 6 week public consultation.

Paul Lawrence (Service Director (Place Management), Stockport Council) will attend the meeting to make a presentation in relation to the draft SPD and the consultation process.

The Area Committee is recommended to comment on the Woodford Aerodrome Opportunity Site SPD.

Officer contact: Richard Wood on 474 4386 or email: richard.wood@stockport.gov.uk

Woodford Aerodrome Opportunity Site Draft Supplementary Planning Document

The Service Director (Place Development) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing details of the draft Woodford Aerodrome Opportunity Site Draft Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) as part of a statutory six week public consultation.

The Service Director (Place Development) (Paul Lawrence) attended the meeting and made a presentation on the draft SPD and in particular provided an overview of the process for the passage of the SPD to final approval stage, including outlining the consultation process and the opportunities for the public to engage and put forward their views.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         The proposals for development on the site would triple the size of Woodford and would result in the existing village being overwhelmed by new development.

·         It was important for any new development to properly integrate with the existing Woodford village.

·         The use of ‘Woodford Garden Village’ as a moniker for the new development reinforced amongst residents the sense that the new development would not be fully integrated with the existing village.

·         Residents expressed the view that Stockport Council had not fully engaged with BAe prior to the sale of the Woodford Aerodrome site to bring to fruition alternative proposals for its redevelopment.

·         Concern was expressed that the proposed redevelopment site was larger than the existing developed land which would result in a significant impact upon the openness of the greenbelt.

·         The status of the proposed ‘green streets’ and ‘village green’ in relation to the green belt was discussed.

·         A discussion took place with regard to the proposals in the SPD being predicated on the construction of the A6 to Manchester Airport Relief Road.  It was stated that without the construction of this road, it was likely that the highway infrastructure in the vicinity of the Woodford Aerodrome site would be able to sustain a development of approximately 300 houses.

·         The cumulative impact of housing development in the south of Greater Manchester and the north of Cheshire needed to be taken into account in the modelling of the impact of development on the highway and demand on local services.

·         The draft SPD had been developed using an evidence-based approach and which had demonstrated that a development comprising 950 homes on the site would be sustainable.

·         A development of the order of 950 homes would transform the Woodford area beyond recognition.

·         A view was put forward that the footprint of the current ‘Major Existing Development Sites’ should be used as the basis for future development, rather than consolidating them both at the north of the Woodford Aerodrome site.

·         The Council should have given consideration to the development of an Area Action Plan or Site Allocations Development Plan Document which would have had the force of policy as opposed to the proposed SPD which constituted only guidance.

·         Notwithstanding the proposed development of the A6 to Manchester Airport Relief Road, further traffic management work would need to be undertaken on local roads in the Woodford area in the light of the increased demand that would be placed upon them.

·         Sufficient consideration had not been given to the potential for at least part of the site to be aside for employment uses.

·         The draft SPD did not make sufficient provision for community facilities including schools and medical services.

·         Insufficient consideration had been given to the preservation of the character of the area.

RESOLVED – (1) That Paul Lawrence be thanked for his attendance and presentation.

(2) That the comments of the Area Committee and members of the public be fed into the wider consultation process on the draft Supplementary Planning Document.

To consider a report of the Executive Councillor (Economic Development & Regeneration)

The report sets out the background to the opportunities presented by the site of the former Woodford Aerodrome and the development of a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) to guide the future redevelopment of the site. The report seeks approval for the draft Woodford Garden Village SPD to enable the statutory six week public consultation to be undertaken.

The Executive is invited to:

·         delegate the finalisation of the draft SPD prior to its public consultation, to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Executive Councillor;

·         approve the statutory 6 week public consultation on the draft SPD to commence 3^rd September;

·         agree that as part of the consultation process the draft SPD is taken to the Bramhall & Cheadle Hulme South Area Committee.

Officer contact: Ian Harrison, 0161 474 4550, ian.harrison@stockport.gov.uk

The Executive Councillor (Economic Development & Regeneration) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Executive Meeting to consider the draft Woodford Garden Village Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) before the commencement of a statutory six week public consultation. The Council’s Core Strategy identified the site of the former Woodford Aerodrome as an opportunity site for development, with the Planning Inspectorate agreeing that the preparation of a SPD was the most appropriate way to guide the future redevelopment of the site.

The Executive Councillor (Economic Development & Regeneration) emphasised that the SPD was currently in draft form and encouraged all interested parties to submit their views and suggestions as part of the public consultation exercise.

RESOLVED – That

·         the finalisation of the draft Woodford Garden Village Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) prior to its publication be delegated to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Executive Councillor (Economic Development & Regeneration);

·         approval be given to the statutory six week consultation on the draft SPD commencing on 3 September 2012;

·         approval be given to the Bramhall & Cheadle Hulme South Area Committee being included as part of the consultation process on the draft SPD.