Up to 15 minutes are allowed for public participation.  Participants are restricted to 3 minutes each.

The Chairman welcomed Councillor John Evans, Chairman of Nettleham Parish Council, to the Committee and invited him to address the Committee. Councillor Evans made the following statement.

“Thank you for the opportunity to address you on the matter of the draft CLLP revised plan.

Nettleham Parish Council is currently undertaking a review of their Nettleham Neighbourhood Plan, to tie in with the CLLP revision. So we have been gathering evidence as to the strength of feeling on this issue. I don’t have sufficient time to comment on many of the matters of concern regarding the draft plan so will focus here on a key area of major interest to our residents: new housing. I can’t speak on behalf of the other Lincoln Fringe villages but strongly suspect my sentiments are shared by them.

The introduction and strategy plan quite rightly says new housing should be focused in urban areas for environmental reasons.  We are therefore at a loss to understand the proposals for new development shown in S79, increasing housing allocations in large villages. We notice that that the total number of houses to now be delivered by 2040 has been reduced by 17% overall and by 21% in the Lincoln Strategy area to 18,656. However under the latest plan for large villages the number of new homes on new sites proposed for Nettleham village has increased by 175 or 10% of the current housing stock in the village. And will almost double the number of new homes proposed only 4 years ago.

This is despite the fact that under current development plans including completed building and homes with planning permission we will already produce an over delivery of some 40 homes ie 16.8% by 2040, with an additional 30 under discussion.

A plea from the Lincoln fringe villages, please give us a break!!

There should not be an expectation of more growth in villages when the targets set in 2017 from a higher central lincs target of growth will be met or even exceeded with existing plans. To push more and more development into the large villages will just turn them in to large housing estates dotted around the county.  The villages will lose their identity and individual character. Without adequate infrastructure and employment opportunities they will then add to the increase in car use to travel into Lincoln as they become dormitory towns.

I would also like to mention some, what I would perceive as, potential reputational damage to West Lindsey if this draft plan is adopted in the current form. West Lindsey District Council has been at the forefront of encouraging Neighbourhood Plans, and many local groups have spent many hours producing neighbourhood development plans on the understanding that they would make a difference. It's supposed to be about empowering local people to make decisions about the shape of future development in their community. The lack of consultation in the preparation of the draft plan, and the refusal by West Lindsey District Council to send staff to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.

To confirm and sign as a correct record the Minutes of the Prosperous Communities Committee held on 13 July 2021

Vice Chairman J. McNeill noted a slight amendment required to item 14 of the minutes, for the addition of the word ‘Committee’. On accepting this amendment it was

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Meeting of the Prosperous Communities Committee held on 13 July 2021 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

Setting out current position of previously agreed actions as at 21 July 2021

The Chairman introduced the report advising Members that the report would be taken “as read” unless Members had any questions. Vice Chairman J. McNeill sought assurance that the remaining seats on the working group for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations had been filled and work would continue apace. The Democratic and Civic Officer confirmed that the first meeting had been scheduled and this work was underway.

With no further questions, and with no requirement for a vote, the Matters Arising were DULY NOTED.

Members may make any declarations at this point but may also make them at any time during the course of the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest made at this point in the meeting.

The Committee heard from the Planning Policy Manager regarding the draft Local Plan consultation response. She explained that, since the Issues and Options consultation in June and July 2019, to which West Lindsey District Council submitted formal comments for consideration, the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan Team and officers at the Central Lincolnshire Districts had been developing the evidence base for the new Local Plan.

West Lindsey District Council, in the role of consultee, had an opportunity to provide comments on the Consultation Draft Local Plan which consisted of a number of questions endorsing or not draft polices, and provided opportunities for comment and additional evidence as necessary.

As this was only a review, many of the policies remained largely unchanged since the Local Plan was adopted in 2017, however there had been some changes of note, specifically the change in layout and policy numbering to aid in navigation. Other areas of note were:

·         Reduction on the housing requirement figure from 1540 to a range between 1060 and 1325

·         Approach to housing growth in medium and small villages due to the ability to allocate sites for 10 or more dwellings

·         Expansion of the retail hierarchy to include important local and rural centres

·         Addition of a suite of policies focussed specifically on mitigating the impact of Climate Change and moving Central Lincolnshire towards carbon neutrality for all new development subject to planning permission.

Members heard this was the second of three consultations on the Local Plan review which gave West Lindsey District Council an opportunity to comment, shape and inform the final draft to be submitted for examination.

The Prosperous Communities Committee, as West Lindsey District Council’s Policy Committee, were requested to consider the Consultation Draft Local Plan paper and provide, where appropriate, responses to the issues raised.

The Chairman and Vice Chairs of Prosperous Communities Committee were invited to a briefing on 2 July 2021. During the briefing, an overview of the Consultation Draft Local Plan was provided and key policy areas considered. Along with the briefing and with the support of Officers, an initial consultation response had been drafted on behalf of West Lindsey District Council which was being presented to the Committee to consider, agree and endorse for submission.

The Chairman thanked the Planning Policy Manager and invited comments from the Committee.

There was support amongst Committee Members for the comments from Councillor Evans during the public participation item regarding the allocation of new builds in rural locations. Members felt it was important to protect Lincolnshire villages and avoid a creeping effect of over-development that would be likely to lead to the loss of character across the district. It was suggested that quality of development should be prioritised over quantity, and that villages should have a greater say. It was also felt that the impact of Neighbourhood Plans was in jeopardy and it was important for communities to maintain influence over their localities. Members welcomed the emphasis on hedgerows and verges, supporting the need for re-diversification, as well as  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.

Members gave consideration to the Committee Workplan as at 21 July 2021. 

With no comments or questions, and with no requirement for a vote, the Work Plan was DULY NOTED.