Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Robin Carter and Councillor Zoe McGhee.

Councillor Graham Lawman and Councillor Melanie Coleman declared an interested in item 5 having previously commented on the Wellingborough and Rushden Area Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan during the public consultation phase.

RESOLVED            That the minutes of the meeting of Place and                                            Environment Scrutiny Committee held on 29^th January                              2025 be approved and signed as a correct record.

RESOLVED            That the minutes of the meeting of Place and                                            Environment Scrutiny Committee held on 29^th January                              2025 be approved and signed as a correct record.

Following debate it was:

RESOLVED            That the Place and Environment Scrutiny Committee

a)    Noted the process undertaken to write North Northamptonshire’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy, which had received the approval of Natural England to progress to publication.

b)    Provided feedback on the draft strategy and how it can be implemented across North Northamptonshire ahead of it being approved by the Executive Member for Climate and the Green Environment.

Members received a report which sought to provide members of the Place & Environment Scrutiny Committee with  an overview of the North Northamptonshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS), the process that had been undertaken in the drafting, the public consultation and the feedback from Natural England as the national coordinators of these Strategies on behalf of Defra (Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). The report was brought to Place & Environment Scrutiny Committee to detail the process the Council had followed to develop the strategy and receive feedback on the first LNRS for the authority before it was approved by the Executive Member for Climate and the Green Environment.

Members heard that North Northamptonshire Council were designated by Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as a Responsible Authority (RA) in June 2023. This meant that that the council was responsible for preparing, publishing, reviewing, and republishing the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) for the administrative area. Defra outlined a number of requirements within the designation letter, including that the strategy development should be collaborative and that the expectation was that work with other organisations will be required to support the preparation of the document, but the authority has overall responsibility for publication and adherence to the Regulations. The Authority was given section 31 grant funding to support the production of the strategy. The RA must work with supporting authorities as part of the development of the LNRS, which would include Tier 2 Authorities (not applicable to North Northamptonshire) and Natural England. As such, the Council has worked closely with Natural England over the last 18 months, with it being part of its Steering Group for the development of the Strategy. Although North Northamptonshire does not have any Tier 2 Authorities, consultation with Town and Parish Council’s was included within the development process.

The Executive member for Climate & Green Environment, Councillor Helen Harrison attended the committee and thanked officers for their hard work and determination in the production of the strategy. Councillor Harrison informed members that North Northamptonshire was only the second responsible authority in England to produce a LNRS which proved great testament for North Northamptonshire Council. Emphasis was also given regarding the connection between the LNRS and planning strategy in the formation of the local plan. Councillor Harrison stated to members that the strategy was the start of the process that would be developed constantly.

Members commended the authority and officers for becoming a leading national publisher and complimented officers on the design and accessibility of the LNRS.

During discussion the following comments were made by members:

·       Members made comments with regards to the importance of the protection of land and green infrastructure within the planning process and ensuring that there is a clear process in place to engage with local land owners and farmers to create proactive and incentive driven engagement. Comments were also made in relation to liaising with local voluntary groups including maritime volunteer service to support the cleanliness of local waterways. Members also  ...  view the full minutes text for item 91.

Following debate it was:

RESOLVED                      That the Place and Environment Scrutiny                                                 Committee

a)    Noted the findings of the public consultation analysis for the Wellingborough and Rushden Area LCWIP which formed Appendix B of the report

b)    Commented on the Draft Wellingborough and Rushden Area LCWIP which formed Appendix A of this report as a Council policy document, and

c)     Made comments to the Executive Member for Highways, Travel and Assets, regarding the future progression of routes/improvements identified within the Wellingborough and Rushden Area LCWIP.

Members received a report which sought to provide members of the Place & Environment with information on the Wellingborough and Rushden Area Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) and report on the findings from the recent public consultation for the LCWIP. Officers also sought  comments on the Wellingborough and Rushden Area LCWIP and for the progression of the LCWIP proposals.

Members heard that Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) are the recommended Department for Transport (DfT) approach for planning and co-ordinating provision for active travel modes. They provide a strategic and planned approach for short and long term provision for cycling and walking within the local area. The Wellingborough and Rushden Area LCWIP had been developed to enable North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) to:Identify prioritised cycling and walking infrastructure improvements for future investment and ensure that consideration was given to cycling and walking within both local planning and transport policies and strategies.

It was also heard that the original intention had been to have separate LCWIPs for Wellingborough and for Rushden. However, following public engagement it was decided to have a single LCWIP that covered a larger area which also included neighbouring villages. The proposals were designed to link with those of the Greenway Strategy.

Members then heard that public consultation and engagement were undertaken throughout the development of the LCWIP. Following initial stakeholder workshops and other public engagement exercises a first public consultation was undertaken between 2 May and 31 May 2024. The responses from this initial public consultation enabled a wide range of improvements to the LCWIP proposals to be identified. Following a further stakeholder workshop and other public engagement exercises a final public consultation on the LCWIP Technical Report and proposals was undertaken between 16 September and 27 October 2024. As part of this consultation respondents were asked for their overall feeling about the LCWIP. 74% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed with the overall LCWIP. Only 22% of respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed with the LCWIP (the other responses were ‘neutral’).

Following a review of the comments received during the consultation, the Wellingborough and Rushden Area Technical Report had been developed to form the Draft Wellingborough and Rushden Area LCWIP Report. A total of 31 route proposals are identified and prioritised within the report.  Assuming the approval of the LCWIP by Executive, a final version of the Wellingborough and Rushden Area LCWIP was to be published on the Council’s website. Work was then to commence to procure support for the initial development of preliminary designs for those routes/ improvements identified within the LCWIP as a priority to form the basis of future funding bids to Government.

During discussion the following comments were made by members:

·       Members raised concerns regarding the loss of greenspace or trees as part of the planed routes. Officers then clarified that no trees or greenspace was to be lost as part of the LCWIP proposals.

·       Members commented on the potential to prioritise left behind areas where opportunities arise in helping to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 92.

Following debate it was:

RESOLVED                      That the Place and Environment Scrutiny                             Committee

a)                Noted the contents for information

b)                Noted the co-production approaches used        to develop the draft strategy.

Members received a report which sought to provide members of the Place & Environment Scrutiny Committee with an update on the draft North Northamptonshire Housing Strategy 2025- 2030 (5-year strategy). 

Members heard that the strategy was North Northamptonshire Council’s first dedicated Housing Strategy and set out what the authority needed to deliver, to meet current and future housing needs. The strategy also set out the council’s ambition to meet demand, offer choice, match aspirations, and provide a range of housing and tenures that are affordable for those who wish to live, work and visit North Northamptonshire. It was then heard that the strategy reinforced the council’s role as a place shape, by ensuring that housing is integrated as one of the key components of a Sustainable Community Strategy, Local Area Agreement and a Local Development Framework.

Members heard that the four strategic priorities of the Housing Strategy was:

·       Strategic Priority 1

o   Build new homes across all tenures where people are proud to live.

•                  Investing in truly affordable housing.

•                  Increasing choices in the housing market for North Northamptonshire households

•                  Researching and implementing new models of delivery

·       Strategic Priority 2

o   Improving the quality of the existing housing stock to provide decent, energy efficient and safe homes.

•                  Making a positive difference to the lives of private tenants.

•                  Identifying pathways to volume domestic retrofit and reducing fuel poverty.

·       Strategic Priority 3

o   Preventing homelessness to ensure everyone has access to decent, safe, and secure homes.

•                  Tackling homelessness and rough sleeping.

•                  Improving access to social housing for those who need it.

·       Strategic Priority 4

o   Supporting people to live healthy and independent lives in homes suited to their needs.

§  Developing healthy homes services to support vulnerable households.

The Executive member for Housing and Communities, Councillor Mark Rowley attended the committee and thanked officers for their hard work and determination in the production of the strategy. Councillor Rowley welcomed the strategy being brought before scrutiny and emphasised that the strategy although did not give specifics to locations gave more ammunition during the planning process in determining housing applications.  

During debate members made the following comments with regards to the Housing Strategy:

·       Members commented with regards to ensuring that the right buildings are put in the right place to benefit wider communities and and to assist in the prevention of homelessness.

·       Members also raised comments in ensuring that council owned land was utilised within the housing strategy and where possible new ways of innovation was used to develop future developments. It was heard by members that officers had identified a number of garage sites as well as other council owned buildings and work was being undertaken to identify those that could be reconfigured to benefit in line with the strategy.

·       Members also raised comments with regards to ensuring that developers were held to the local requirements and local plan with strict requirements regarding biodiversity net gain.

Following debate it was:

RESOLVED                      That the Place and Environment Scrutiny  ...  view the full minutes text for item 93.

The circulated workplan for Place and Environment Scrutiny Committee was received and noted by members.

It was suggested by committee members that the following additional items be considered by the Scrutiny Management Board for future inclusion on the Place and Environment Scrutiny Committee workplan or through the distribution of relevant briefing notes to members of the committee. :

·       Highways Contract and performance review.

·       Traffic Enforcement

Resolved that the workplan and comments be noted.