Agenda item

The Portfolio Holder for Strategic Planning - Councillor Fear introduced a report seeking  approval for the Final Draft Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough  Local Plan 2040 and to carry out consultation. Should no matters be raised during the consultation, it was recommended that the Plan be submitted to the Secretary of State for formal examination.

Councillor Fear advised that without a Local Plan in place the Borough would be vulnerable to predatory development and also would run the risk of having a plan written by the Government.

The report was to approve the Draft Local Plan to be sent out for an 8 week consultation with a suite of supporting documents and, following the consultation if a material impact arose, the plan would be brought back to Council for further debate.  If no impacts arose then the draft plan, along with the verbatim and unredacted comments made upon it, would be sent to an independent planning inspector who would have the final say on the soundness of the plan or make changes to it.

Councillor Fear stated that if the Council did not have a plan in place by June, 2025 the process would have to start all over again.

The draft plan required developers to build up to 30% of affordable homes, to respect local heritage, consider health impacts of development and increase bio-diversity.  It defended public green spaces and would create a third country park.

The Leader seconded the motion and welcomed the reaching of this stage of the  draft plan for the Borough.  Planning Officers were thanked for the work that they had undertaken to pull the plan together.

 Councillor Dave Jones introduced an amendment to the report outlining issues that the Labour Group had identified with the recommendations.  

Following a debate on the amendment, a named vote was taken.

In Favour (Y) –  16

Against (N) –25

Abstain – 0

The motion to amend the recommendations fell and a debate then took place on the original motion.

Councillor Holland, at the recent Economy and Place Scrutiny Committee, had asked what was thought to be of concern with the plan and the response was that the new Government would want to see more  development and growth than the Council had planned for.  Councillor Holland referred to Policies included in the plan which benefited the Borough and its residents.

Councillor Skelding stated that he wanted to see economic growth in the Borough and the draft plan delivered that.

Councillor Stubbs expressed concerns stating that there were several critical issues with the plan at this stage including the lack of consultation and community engagement which, he stated, the UK Planning Inspectorate often cite as a significant reason for refusal at the Regulation 19 stage.  Councillor Stubbs added that the proposed plan raised environmental concerns and that the proposed developments would place pressure on existing infrastructure. 

Councillor Bettley-Smith referred to a point raised earlier in the meeting regarding the green belt being lost.  The plan promoted opportunities for walking , cycling and horse riding.  There was also the tree planting schemes taking place across the Borough.

Councillor Adcock referred to gains within the draft plan, including allowing the Council to designate areas that it wanted to protect. 

Councillor Edgington-Plunkett queried whether any major risks had been identified during the consultation process to date.

Councillor Dave Jones stated that the draft plan aimed to take land out of the green belt for development.

Councillor Northcott referred to a number of large estates in Loggerheads that had been built in the absence of a local plan and therefore the Council had been unable to resist development of those sites.

The Mayor adjourned the meeting at 8.22pm

The meeting reconvened at 8.30pm.

Councillor Northcott stated that there had been frustration from members at the Planning Committee when deliberating on applications without reference to a local plan.  He was pleased that there was now a policy (PSP 6) in the draft plan that referred to the health and wellbeing of residents of the Borough.

In summing up, Councillor Fear first called for a named vote on this item.  He stated that the current Chancellor of the Exchequer had announced that there would be mandatory housing targets imposed across the country.  The calculations for housing contained within the draft plan had been run with the standard methodology as recommended by the National Planning Framework.  No plan did not mean no development – it meant that the Council lost control over development.

Reference was made to paragraph 3.18, which Councillor Fear felt was really sad.  It read ‘employees that live in the Borough tend to earn less than across the region or country’ and Councillor Fear was proud that the draft plan was promoting employment opportunities.

The Leader endorsed all of the comments made by his Group.  There had not been an up to date Local Plan in the Borough since 2003.  The Council withdrew from the Joint Local Plan in 2021 as it was being tied into city size housing growth figures.  The two Authorities were also moving in different directions.

The draft plan would allow the Council to protect the green spaces under its ownership, some of which had already been improved with tree and wildflower planting.  Brownfield sites were being prioritised for housing development including the Ryecroft and Midway car park sites. Third party landowners would be able to put land into the plan, which would be assessed on its merits.

A named vote was taken:

In Favour (Y) –  25

Against (N) –16

Abstain – 0

Resolved:    (i)       That the Final Draft Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Local

Plan 2040 (at Regulation 19 stage), the Sustainability Appraisal, Habitats Regulations Assessment and supporting documentation be approved for public consultation in line with the approved Local Development Scheme;

(ii)             That the Service Director (Planning), in consultation with the Strategic Planning Portfolio Holder, be authorised to make any necessary minor typographical changes and modifications to the Final Draft Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Local Plan 2040, Sustainability Appraisal and Habitat Regulations Assessment prior to consultation;

(iii)           Subject to the outcome of consultation, and if no matters are raised that materially impact upon the Plan strategy,  the Deputy Chief Executive in consultation with the Strategic Planning Portfolio Holder, be authorised to submit the Final Draft Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Local Plan 2040 and supporting documents to the Secretary of State for formal examination by the end of 2024;

(iv)           That the Service Director (Planning) be authorised to write to the appointed Inspector(s) at the start of the examination of the Final Draft Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Local Plan 2040 requesting them, under section 20(7C) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, to recommend any main modifications necessary to ensure the Plan sound and legally compliant.

At 8.52pm the Mayor allowed a few minutes for the public gallery to clear.  At this point, Councillors’ Bettley-Smith and Wilkes also left the meeting.

Watch the debate here