Agenda item

This report seeks authority to publish work undertaken on production of a study assessing the potential housing capacity within the urban areas of the larger towns in East Devon.

The Committee considered the Service Lead – Planning Strategy and Development Management’s report on the Urban Capacity Study which sought Members’ agreement to publish work undertaken on the production of a study assessing the potential housing capacity within the urban areas of the larger towns in East Devon.

The Service Lead – Planning Strategy and Development Management highlighted the joint methodology appended to the report which helped to understand what capacity East Devon had to meet the housing needs from within the existing built up areas.

The report outlined the high level assessment and breakdown of the key towns and Members noted that there was a potential maximum supply of 766 homes which was significantly less than one year’s housing supply.

The Service Lead – Planning Strategy and Development Management sought Members guidance on whether to adopt a proactive approach to the delivery of the 766 homes or his preferred approach to note that those sites exist with a chance that a number of them would come forward as windfall sites.  He raised concerns that the proactive approach was likely to be time and highly resource intensive which could have a potential impact on the local plan production.

Comments made by Non-Committee Members included:

·         Comment made about a report about how much surplus house building there had been in Devon which would help to reach the minimum requirement within one year.  The Service Lead – Planning Strategy and Development Management highlighted that supply ebbs and flows over time and a small surplus one year can help to minimise the impacts of underprovision in others.  He also commented that if those sites do not come forward the council could be in a position of not being able to maintain an adequate supply and not meeting the Government’s requirement which is not a position the council wants to be in.

Comments made by Committee Members included:

·         An effort should be made to contact landowners and invite them to bring their properties forward for consideration.

·         A comment was made about the amount of commercial properties that might become available due to post Covid-19.

·         Clarification sought on what type of dwelling is a notional dwelling.  The Service Lead – Planning Strategy and Development Management advised that the number of homes each site could accommodate was based on an Officer assessment taking into account the surrounding area such as  access roads, parking, garden spaces

·         Public perception that there is infill happening all over the district.

·         Clarification sought on historical data of infill sites.  The Service Lead – Planning Strategy and Development Management did not have the information to hand but directed Members to the annual housing monitoring reports.

·         Joined up and ambitious thinking is needed to achieve the best results from the Government’s levelling up fund.

·         Cranbrook cannot be considered as it does not have a defined town boundary.

·         The need to dedicate some Officer time to work on the bigger schemes to actively encourage development in towns and work with the towns and the other built up area boundaries to bring forward good quality schemes. 

·         We do not need to have every single site that you have identified at this stage in the local plan we just need to agree in principle that when urban sites come forward we make the best possible use of the land.

·         Suggestion made to revisit this again when we discuss the town centres and built up area boundaries to encourage the development of higher density.  In response the Service Lead – Planning Strategy and Development Management advised it could be done through policy to encourage the reuse of vacant land within towns to promote higher density and through the plan process gather sufficient evidence through sites being put forward to allocate some of these sites.

The following amendment to the motion was proposed by Councillor Eleanor Rylance and seconded by Councillor Olly Davey.

That Strategic Planning Committee note the work in relation to the Urban Capacity Study summary of findings report and related appendices and endorse its use as evidence to support production of the new Local Plan with a caveat that we explore higher densities in towns.

A further amendment was proposed by Councillor Kevin Blakey and agreed by Councillor Eleanor Rylance and Councillor Olly Davey

That Members note the limited capacity available within the existing built up area boundaries of the main towns and the potential need to find land outside of these areas to meet the future development needs of the district when the identified areas within the towns are exhausted.

RESOLVED:

1.    That the Committee notes the work in relation to the Urban Capacity Study summary of findings report and related appendices and endorses its use as evidence to support production of the new Local Plan with a caveat that we explore higher densities in towns.

2.    That Members note the limited capacity available within the existing built up area boundaries of the main towns and the potential need to find land outside of these areas to meet the future development needs of the district when the identified areas within the towns are exhausted.