Agenda and minutes

At this point, members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they may have in the business on this agenda.

At this point in the meeting Members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they may have in the business on the agenda.

Councillor Simpson Laing declared a personal interest as she lives in flood zone 3a and the street is mentioned by name in the document.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting of the Local Development Framework Working Group held on 14 February 2011.

RESOLVED:             That the minutes of the LDF Working Group meeting held on 14^th February 2011 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

At this point in the meeting, members of the public who have registered their wish to speak, regarding an item on the agenda or an issue within the remit of the Working Group, may do so.  The deadline for registering is 5.00 pm on Friday 11^th March 2011.

It was reported that there had been one registration to speak at the meeting.

Councillor Moore advised that he had met with Officers and a table of suggested amendments as a result of the meeting, had been circulated to the Working Group. He made the following comments:

• The Officer report is robust.
• The Environment Agency’s flood maps are potentially over cautious especially near Rawcliffe Lake. This area should not be within Flood Zone 2 as nearby properties are not affected.
• The last sentence of paragraph 3.8.7 which refers the review of the November floods by Arup which indicated significant flooding would still have occurred in the Rawcliffe area due to backing up of flood water derived from within the Blue Beck catchment itself. It is suggested that this was also because the flood basin was too small. Environment Agency work is due to be carried out at this site.

This report advises Members on the updated Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) for York. It outlines the requirements of Planning Policy Statement 25 (PPS25) ‘Development and Flood Risk’, he components of the SFRA  and the key amendments to the SFRA which was originally approved by Members in 2007. The key change made to York’s SFRA include refining the flood risk classifications reflecting the use of more accurate information and modelling work.

Members considered a report which advised them on the updated Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) for York. The report outlined the requirements of Planning Policy Statement 25 (PPS25) ‘Development and Flood Risk’, the components of the SFRA and they key amendments to the SFRA  which was originally approved by Members in 2007.

Officers outlined the report and advised that the key change made to York’s SFRA is the refining of the flood risk classifications reflecting the use of more accurate information and modelling work. A draft of the update SFRA was attached as Annex A of the report.

Members made the following comments:

• The document is repetitive in parts and not easy to understand. Members suggested that an Executive Summary at the beginning of the document might be useful to assist members of the public.
• Members queried why certain areas of York are mentioned specific to policy but other areas that are subject to flooding such as Clementhorpe are not.
• Members sought assurance that areas of York affected by flood barriers being over-topped were covered by other policies. Officers confirmed this would be an emergency planning issue.

Officers confirmed that they would look into producing an executive summary and also at focusing on specific areas where appropriate. The amendments as tabled would also be incorporated subject to a approval by the Executive.

RESOLVED: (i)That the Executive be recommended to approve the proposed Strategic Flood Risk Assessment included as Annex A to this report, for publication as part of the Local Development Framework evidence base. Subject to the comments made by the LDF Working Group and the circulated table of suggested changes provided by Councillor Moore.

REASON                   So that the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment can continue to be used as part of the Local Development Framework evidence base.

RESOLVED: (ii)That it be delegated to the Director of City Strategy in consultation with the Executive Member for City Strategy, the making of any other necessary changes arising from the recommendation of the LDF Working Group prior to its publication as part of the Local Development Framework evidence base.

REASON:                  So that any changes can be incorporated into the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment prior to its publication.