Issue - meetings

Meeting: 26/01/2021 - Prosperous Communities Committee (Item 46)

46 Consultation Response to Supporting housing delivery and public service infrastructure pdf icon PDF 284 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members gave consideration to a report which sought to update the Committee on the content of the consultation entitled “Supporting Housing Delivery and Public Service Infrastructure” and to share with them the draft technical consultation response for comment prior to submission.

 

The Government had launched the consultation on 3 December with a closing date for comments on 28 January 2021.  The consultation sought views on further changes to the Planning System, related specifically to approaches to Development Management. These changes were being proposed by Government in order to support and speed up housing delivery, economic recovery and public service infrastructure. 

 

The current consultation related to the following three themes:

 

·         Supporting housing delivery through the introduction of a national permitted development right to change the use of commercial, business and service use class (Class E newly introduced in September 2020) to residential; and,

·         Supporting public service infrastructure through the planning system; and,

·         Consolidation and simplification of existing permitted development rights.

 

This report briefly highlighted some of the key issues across the three themes and attached at Appendix 1 was the draft responses to the specific questions posed by the consultation. Officers had approached the responses with a priority focus on rural issues.

 

In response to questions, Officers confirmed the wholescale review was across all permitted developments rights. Concern was expressed that there was again an emphasis from the Government on speed and reduced consultation.  Some spoke of their discomfort  at the proposed new permitted development right –for the change of use from any use within the new Commercial, Business and Service use class (use class E) to residential (use class C3), without the requirement of planning permission from the Local Planning Authority.  It was feared retail units would disappear and along with it “the High Street”. 

 

Having been moved and seconded, on being put to the vote it was unanimously: -

 

RESOLVED that: -

 

(a)            the conclusions of the report and the suggested response to each question be endorsed.

 

(b)            Delegated authority be granted to the Assistant Director of Planning and Regeneration, Projects and Growth in consultation with the Chair of Prosperous Communities Committee to finalise and submit the consultation response, on behalf of West Lindsey District Council, in line with the content of the report and any comments made throughout the debate.