Agenda item

The Policy Manager presented a report which informed the EAP of the responses to the Strategic Plan Scope and Issues consultation and the officer responses.  The report also considered the next steps in progressing the Strategic Plan.

Consultation on the scope and issues document, which represented the formal commencement of the Strategic Plan, had been undertaken for 8 weeks between March and May 2022.  The consultation document included 38 questions to guide feedback and 378 respondents had provided feedback to the consultation, comprising of over 3,500 individual responses to the questions.

Several key issues arose from the consultation including:

·         Oxford-Cambridge Arc

·         Plan-period

·         Spatial Strategy

·         Local Housing Need

·         Logistics

·         Town centres and the role of Rushden Lakes

·         Standards

·         Kettering North

·         Special Protection Area

·         Place-making principles

·         Duty to Cooperate

Whilst not listed, responding to climate change would be at the heart of the Plan and infrastructure planning and provision would also be critical.

As part of the development of a new Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment, a Call for Sites consultation had also taken place between January and April 2022.  A significant response of around 323 sites had been submitted and an interactive map of sites received through the Call for Sites and also any additional sites submitted through the Scope and Issues consultation was being prepared.

There had been little progress in relation to proposals for planning reform since the publication of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill in May 2022 and further measures in the Bill had been announced through a Written Ministerial Statement earlier this month.  Given the lack of clarity, it was important to continue in progressing the Strategic Plan and to respond to any announcements accordingly.

During discussion, the following principal points were noted:

i.          Members highlighted that through the Oxford-Cambridge Arc there had been a strategic desire for development and questioned how much that would be taken into account when developing our strategy.  Officers responded by stating that it was understood that the Arc’s Spatial Framework would no longer progress, but opportunities would be looked at as the Strategic Plan developed.  Local evidence would be key and adjoining authorities had not indicated that they would be looking to North Northamptonshire to take on any unmet housing needs.

ii.         It was noted that there was a strong demand on logistics, but the Council wanted to seek a balanced economy and not be overly reliant on this area.

iii.        A member stated that the response around the Kettering North/Weekley Wood site was not satisfactory.  Weekley Wood was used by many people and it was also in line with our Climate Change Strategy to keep spaces like that.  Local people had expressed a clear view and the response was not in keeping with those views.  In response, officers advised that the report reflects feedback to a specific question and the officer response was a statement of fact.  The site was already allocated and a planning application for part of the site had already been submitted.

iv.        A member stated that whilst climate change was mentioned there was still a lot of work to do on how the Council carried climate change actions forward in plans.  In response, officers advised that climate change would be fundamental, and consultants had been appointed to provide a robust evidence base for the Strategic Plan.

v.         In response to Biodiversity Net Gain, Members asked whether there had been any push back on the possible increase of more than the mandated 10%.  In response, officers believed that there would be push back from developers if the Council looked to go above the 10% and there was a split in support to go further.  Viability assessment and looking at different targets will be key, and we will need to interrogate, test and develop the approach.

vi.        With regards to town centres and Rushden Lakes, it was important to be careful that Rushden Lakes did not take business away from the town centres.  Officers advised that retail evidence had looked at the impact of Rushden Lakes and would develop the approach for the relationship with town centres.  A balanced approach was wanted and the future role of town centres and how they will be reimagined was key.

RESOLVED:

(i)         To note the responses to the Scope and Issues consultation as summarised in Appendix A of the report.

(ii)        To note the further work officers will need to undertake to progress the Strategic Plan and develop spatial options, including:

·                Progressing and commissioning technical work to support the Strategic Plan.

·                Reviewing the responses received to the Call for Sites, which will include assessing each individual submission.

·             Progressing key policy issues as discussed in the report and Appendix A and developing and testing spatial options and arranging Member workshops to input into this.