Agenda and minutes

Information on public speaking is available online

A number of members of the public commented on item 38, as follows:

Richard Mead, speaking as a resident of Axminster asked the committee to provide evidence for the need of 850+ houses, evidence that would show that East Devon residents could afford to purchase the houses, that residents had been consulted about the types of houses, bungalows or apartments that would be needed and to show that Axminster wanted and needed another retail centre.  Confirmation was sought that the proposed relief road and other surfaces would be completed before starting the proposed development.  Mr Mead referred to the need for bungalows for the disabled and houses for families with gardens, and went on to ask for a referendum on the proposal.

Alistair Ferguson, speaking as a resident of Axminster on focused on two main concerns.  His first concern was about the 2016 Local Plan and how the land area proposed to be developed had almost doubled in size.  He questioned the credibility of Persimmon Homes on the pretext that more houses were required to fund the relief road and that Persimmon Homes would be benefiting from £10m of taxpayers money.  He went on to say that the people of Axminster felt they had not had any meaningful say in the size of the development.  The second concern he raised was about the environmental impact of the development and the relief road and referred to David Attenborough’s concerns about the environmental crisis to the ecosystems.  Mr Ferguson felt that East Devon was building houses on a scale that was not required for local needs and would not be supported by the local community.  He said the relief road by design would generate high levels of pollution and noise pollution which would impact upon the houses built, wildlife habitats, potentially causing trees and hedgerows to be destroyed and be exacerbating the risk of flooding.

Cllr Alistair Forbes, Chairman of All Saints Parish Council, outlined to the committee that members of the parish council and residents of the village were against the Axminster Master Plan because it would make the village unsustainable.  He questioned the Central Government Funds to subsidise 850 unwanted houses.  He addressed there had been no local press coverage, no meetings and no concern for Axminster residents.  Cllr Forbes requested a written response to his questions.  He  said that issues relating to the bridge and the by-pass needed to be addressed.

Paul Hayward, speaking as a member of the public made reference to the councillor Code of Conduct and predetermination.  He believed it was a rushed plan that had been designed for commercial gain and not in the interests of Axminster residents and other neighbouring parishes.  He said it was merely to achieve housing targets.  Mr Hayward raised concerns about the lack of consultation for the relief road and said the road would increase air pollution to the new estate.  He asked the committee to consider a deferral of the masterplan so that land to the north east of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35.

The minutes of the Strategic Planning Committee meeting held on 27 November 2018 were confirmed and signed as a true record with the following amendment to page 4 in item 25 which should read an uplift to 953 homes per ‘year’ for East Devon in 2018.

Guidance is available online to Councillors and co-opted members on making declarations of interest

Councillor Paul Diviani – minute 38 – Personal interest – Chairman of Axminster Regeneration Board, Chairman of Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Barry James, Persimmon Homes, former Local Government employee from Somerset District Council

Councillor Graham Godbeer – minute 38 – Personal Interest – local resident and Member of East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Councillor Geoff Pook – minute 38 – Personal interest – involved in the construction industry and Member of East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Councillor Ian Hall – minute 38 – Personal interest – Devon County Councillor, Ward Member for Axminster, Member of Axminster Regeneration Board, East Devon District Council Youth Champion and Member of Cloakham Lawns

Councillor Andrew Moulding – minute 38 – Personal interest – Member of Axminster Regeneration Board

The Service Lead, Planning Strategy and Development Management presented the report, which sought Member endorsement of a masterplan for the development of an eastern urban extension to the town of Axminster, incorporating the delivery of a relief road.  The masterplan had been produced by a team of consultants, who were commissioned by the council in partnership with Persimmon Homes and The Crown Estate, who were the main land owners/developers with interests in the site.  The masterplan had been the subject of consultation and engagement with the community.

Points raised during discussion of the Axminster Masterplan included:

·        The danger of setting a precedent.

·        The primary reason for the expansion of the site was to fund the delivery of the relief road.

·        The need for community facilities and open space provision.

·        The need to have a mix of homes to deliver to all ages and requirements of the community.

·        Inaccuracies in the masterplan were highlighted.

·        Expansion of the existing school would help drive up student numbers such that a sixth form college could become viable. 

·        Concerns about losing the five year land supply.

·        The need for an assessment of the site to consider the potential archaeological interest of a medieval deer park.

·        Distances between the site and Axminster town centre.

·        Viability work on the relief road.

RESOLVED:

1.   that the resolution of Cabinet on 31st October 2018 to agree in principle the borrowing of the shortfall in funding for the relief road, on the basis that this would be repaid through developer contributions subject to a detailed proposal being agreed by Council, and how this resolution has informed the masterplan and would enable the early delivery of the relief road, be noted and

2.   that the Axminster North Eastern Urban Extension Masterplan for the purposes of informing decision making on future planning applications for the urban extension area, and to support the Council’s bid for monies under the Housing Infrastructure Fund, be agreed subject to amending the housing numbers on the Persimmon parcels on page 75 of the agenda and delegated authority to address typos, wording and formatting before final publication

This report recommended agreement to a draft East Devon Local List Guide for public consultation.  The draft guide set out criteria for assessing whether locally important heritage assets should be placed on the East Devon ‘Local List’.

The Chairman and the committee were in support of the public consultation being undertaken on the draft Local List Guide and noted the assessment process would be undertaken by the community groups to gather the information and to submit their nomination to EDDC.

RESOLVED:

That public consultation would be undertaken on the appended draft Local List Guide, to advise local communities on the identification and assessment of non-designated heritage assets for inclusion on a Local List, be agreed.

The report produced by the Planning Policy team provided summary details of the Employment Land Review for 2017-18.

Specific comment on the Employment Land Review covered:

·        That it was important not to lose focus of employment across the whole of the district, and about the impact of existing communities.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

This report sought Members agreement to commence consultation on changes to the areas included in the East Devon Area of Special Control of Advertisements.  The Service Lead Strategic, Planning and Development Management outlined the proposed boundary generally follows that of the Built-up Area Boundary defined in the Local Plan.

Discussion covered:

·        Some concerns were expressed about the proposed exclusion of most of Cranbrook from the restriction.  In response the committee were advised Cranbrook was seen as a vibrant town with commercial viabilities.

·        Clarification was sought on Lympstone.  In response the committee were advised the works programme would be reviewed.

·        Clarification was sought on the legal process if a ward member did not agree with an officer recommendation.  In response the committee were advised in this instance a discussion with the Strategic Lead for Governance and Licensing would be required.

RESOLVED:

that consultation be undertaken on the proposed changes to the area covered by the Area of Special Control of Advertisements be agreed

The Government were seeking views on draft legislation to amend the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010 (as amended) to obtain the right level of developer contributions for the provision of infrastructure and assets within the District.  The report provided an overview of this technical consultation on the reform of development contributions, and set out proposed responses to the consultation questions.

Members discussed concerns over:

·      Clarification was sought about starter homes being exempt from paying CIL where the dwelling is sold to individuals whose household annual income was no more than £80,000. Concerns were raised about low incomes in Devon.

·      Clarification was sought about the process of CIL contributions.

·      Clarification was sought about Cranbrook and CIL contributions and the delivery of infrastructure.  In response the Service Lead Strategic, Planning and Development Management, advised an additional Strategic Planning Committee had been arranged on 20 February to discuss the Cranbrook Plan and the CIL Charing Schedule.

RESOLVED:

That submission of the proposed response to the Government consultation on Development contributions reform: technical consultation, be agreed.

The Service Lead Strategic, Planning and Development Management’s report set out a first draft of a timetable for production of a new Local Plan for East Devon. It did so on an assumption that the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan (GESP) would be produced to publicised timetables.  Updated timetables would be brought to future Strategic Planning Committee meetings.

National planning policy framework encouraged local authorities to work together and join up their thinking.  GESP covered the local planning authority areas of:

·        East Devon District Council

·        Exeter City Council

·        Mid Devon District Council

·        Teignbridge District Council

Devon County Council were a key partner in GESP production with a particular interest and responsibility in infrastructure and transport matters.

GESP would cover a number of strategic planning issues across the four planning authorities.  The intention was that it would set out housing development numbers through to 2040, and potentially beyond, along with policy for employment land and more general policies promoting major facilities and supporting infrastructure.  It was also planned to identify and allocate strategic/large scale sites for future development.  The new local plan would provide policy to implement the strategy set out in the GESP.  The GESP and the local plan were designed to work together, with GESP superseding the most strategic section of the local plan.

The timetable established that production of the new local plan should follow on after key stages of work on GESP production.  GESP work could then inform local plan work and content.  This meant that there was likely to be a period of up to 18 months between when GESP was adopted (likely to be around April 2022) and when a new local plan was adopted (likely to be late summer/autumn 2023).  The villages plan would be encompassed into the local plan.  It would not expected that the villages plan would change, but it would need to go through the local plan consultation.

          Some concern was expressed policies should be developed quicker than as indicated in the draft timetable, as it was felt that many of the existing policies were inadequate in their current form.  Policies were constantly evolving in terms of legislation.  Creating master plans represented a more proactive approach, with the hope that they would lead to improved developments.

          Concern was also expressed that neighbourhood plans and the villages plan being superseded went against localism, as control was being taken away from communities and given to higher levels of authority.  If GESP was based on national planning policy it may become contrary to local planning guidance and policy.  The Service Lead – Strategic Planning and Development Management reported that he did not envisage neighbourhood plans being superseded by GESP.  GESP was about co-operatively working together in partnership rather than control being taken away.

RESOLVED:

            that the draft new local plan timetable, noting alignment with timelines for production of the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan, be agreed.