Issue - meetings

This report seeks the Executive Member’s decision to publish the non-statutory planning guidance at Annexes A-E to support the adopted Local Plan. Non-statutory guidance will provide clarity to applicants, decision-makers and stakeholders on the interpretation and application of Local Plan policies.

Resolved: That the Executive Member for Housing, Planning and Safer Communities:

·      Supported and approved publication of the draft non-statutory planning guidance, subject to liaison with Officers in providing more detail in the hot food takeaway non-statutory Guidance to clarify how ‘places where children and young people congregate’ had been determined.

·      Delegated authority to the Director of City Development to approve any recommended changes and/or minor factual updates required to the planning guidance; and to approve of changes not requiring approval from a further Combined Executive Member Decision Session.

Reason: To enable publication of the guidance to support the implementation of the Local Plan policies and support consistent, high-quality development and decision-making.

The Strategic Planning Policy Manager, Head of Strategic Planning Policy, and Director of Public Health presented the report and noted that the guidance notes support speeding up decision making and that there was a focus on responding to changes more quickly if there were any future statutory changes to planning that required further decision-making from the Executive Members.

The restriction on hot food takeaway as proposed within the report was included following investigation and had been added to the guidance following national guidance issued and followed an evidence-based focus on children’s health.

A correction was reported to the charts seen within Annex C of the report, on page 67 of the agenda, in that the second graph chart underneath “Childhood obesity rates in York have risen considerably over the last decade” should read: “Year 6 Prevalence of Overweight (including obesity)”.

In response raised during Public Participation, it was reported that a consultation strategy had been prepared and an external consultation would be sought if required.

In response to questions from the Executive Member for Housing, Planning and Safer Communities, the Strategic Planning Policy Manager, Head of Strategic Planning Policy, and Director of Public Health confirmed that:

·      The aim of the guidance notes was not to form new policy, but to incorporate and develop what is already part of the policy into adapted guidance.

·      Internal consultation had been undertaken with Executive Members, Ward Councillors, and departments. The public were not statutory consultees.

Resolved: That the Executive Member for Housing, Planning and Safer Communities:

·      Supported and approved publication of the draft non-statutory planning guidance, subject to liaison with Officers in providing more detail in the hot food takeaway non-statutory Guidance to clarify how ‘places where children and young people congregate’ had been determined.

·      Delegated authority to the Director of City Development to approve any recommended changes and/or minor factual updates required to the planning guidance; and to approve of changes not requiring approval from a further Combined Executive Member Decision Session.

Reason: To enable publication of the guidance to support the implementation of the Local Plan policies and support consistent, high-quality development and decision-making.