Agenda and minutes

At this point in the meeting, Members are asked to declare:

·        any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests

·        any prejudicial interests or

·        any disclosable pecuniary interests

which they may have in respect of business on this agenda.

Members were asked to declare any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests, any prejudicial interests or any disclosable pecuniary interests which they might have in respect of business on the agenda. 

·        Councillor Steward declared a personal interest, that he owns one share in Sirius Minerals.

·        Councillor Mercer declared a personal interest as she currently holds shares in Sirius Minerals.

·        Councillor D’Agorne declared a personal interest that he holds a North Yorkshire Pension Fund.

·        Councillor Cullwick declared a personal interest that he and his wife own shares in a pension fund that holds shares in Sirius Minerals.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting of the Local Plan Working Group held on 23 January 2017.

Resolved:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 23 January 2017 be approved as a correct record and then signed by the Chair.

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 5.00pm on Monday 26 June 2017.

Filming or Recording Meetings

Please note this meeting may be filmed and webcast, or audio recorded, and that includes any registered public speakers, who have given their permission. The broadcast can be viewed at http://www.york.gov.uk/webcasts or, if recorded, this will be uploaded onto the Council’s website following the meeting.

Residents are welcome to photograph, film or record Councillors and Officers at all meetings open to the press and public. This includes the use of social media reporting, i.e. tweeting. Anyone wishing to film, record or take photos at any public meeting should contact the Democracy Officers (contact details at the foot of this agenda) in advance of the meeting.

The Council’s protocol on Webcasting, Filming & Recording of Meetings ensures that these practices are carried out in a manner both respectful to the conduct of the meeting and all those present.  It can be viewed at https://www.york.gov.uk/downloads/file/11406/protocol_for_webcasting_filming_and_recording_of_council_meetings_20160809

It was reported that there had been three registrations to speak under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

Edie Jones spoke on item 5, Upper and Nether Poppleton Neighbourhood Plan – Examiners Report. 

She confirmed that the information used in the preparation of the Poppleton Neighbourhood Plan had been drawn from many sources and was designed to fulfil the aspirations, desires and recommendations from the village population, local businesses, local landowners, farmers, churches and schools. She confirmed that the Poppleton Neighbourhood Plan had to comply with all the processes and procedures that the Local Plan must fulfil and highlighted the costs this had incurred. She stated the Plan had been developed with guidance and vetting on wording of policies and legal processes by City of York Councils officers and that consultants had also been employed. She concluded by thanking those who had supported the process including, officers, Ward Councillors and their local MP.

Cllr Cuthbertson spoke on the general remit of the Committee. He started by congratulating Upper and Neither Poppleton on their Neighbourhood Plan. He thanked the local volunteers who had put hours of expertise and local knowledge into the Plan and he hoped this was the first of many that would be brought forward. He stated that Neighbourhood Plans required the support of a robust Local Plan and highlighted the Examiners comments on this. He made reference to the emerging Local Plan and felt that the current administration had produced an evidence based Plan that would deliver much needed housing whilst focusing on development on Brownfield land and all practical steps to protect the Green Belt, York’s character and heritage. He addressed the delays caused to the production of the Local Plan and stated that it should be agreed as soon as possible to discourage any further postponements.

Chris Wedgewood spoke on the removal of site H56 from the preferred sites selection and the reasons why this site should be designated as Local Green Space.  He felt that an error had occurred with site H56 because it did not pass Stage 1 of the 2016 site selection methodology, therefore should be removed from the emerging Local Plan. He went on to explain Stage 1 methodology and agreed that the site had been tested against the site selection methodology but had failed this assessment, so could not legitimately progress past Stage 1. He confirmed that a petition of 1300 signatories had asked for the site to be designated as Local Green Space. He stated that under the new emerging Local Plan site H56 would be excluded from the Green Belt but as the land continued to fulfil the essential Green Belt purposes, it constituted a ‘special additional reason’ and should be designated Local Green Space.

This report updates Members on the outcomes of the consultation on the Publication draft Minerals and Waste Joint Plan and asks Members to recommend that Executive approve the Proposed Changes to the Joint Plan for the purposes of public consultation.

Members considered a report that updated them on the outcomes of the consultation on the publication of the draft Minerals and Waste Joint Plan and asked them to recommend that Executive approve the proposed changes to the Joint Plan for the purposes of public consultation.

Officers gave an update and confirmed that the Minerals and Waste Joint Plan was generated with North Yorkshire County Council and the North York Moors National Park Authority and was subject to consultation during October to December 2016. Within that period a total of 1,470 comments from 200 respondents were received.  These comments were reviewed by the three authorities and a schedule of proposed changes was produced to provide greater clarity and precision to the wording.

Members were informed of the timescales that would lead to the adoption of the Joint Plan and noted that officers were working on reducing the publication date from summer 2018.

In response to Members questions officers confirmed:

·        they would be notifying around 12,000 individuals of the consultation by letter or email and that all information, on the consultation, would be available in hardcopy or online.

·        Public drop in sessions had not been arranged but would be organised in York.   

·        they would look at how further explanations could be included as part of the consultation material, to assist in the interpretation of the proposed changes.

·        they would consider rewriting the sentence located at PC92 (Annex B of the report) to improve the grammar.

·        the One Planet Council, Better Decision Making Tool, (Annex D of the report) was being piloted by officers and had generated mixed responses. After the initial first 6 months, guidelines would be tightened and become more prescriptive.

Resolved:  That the Local Plan Working Group recommend to Executive:

i)       That the representations received on the publication, Minerals and Waste Joint Plan, for North Yorkshire, York and the North York Moors National Park (Annex A of the report), be noted.

Reason:     For information and to provide a context to the proposed changes.

ii)       That the draft Minerals and Waste Joint Plan for York, North Yorkshire and North York Moors National Park Schedule of Proposed Changes (Annex B of the report), for the purposes of consultation, be approved.

               Reason:   So that an NPPF compliant Joint Waste and Minerals Plan can be progressed.  

iii)      That the Director of Economy and Place in consultation with the Executive Member for Transport and Planning be authorised to make non-substantive editorial changes to the Schedule of Proposed Changes (Annex B of the report) and other supporting documents proposed to be published alongside the Plan.

Reason:   So that an NPPF compliant Joint Waste and Minerals Plan can be progressed.

Members are asked to consider the Upper and Nether Poppleton Neighbourhood Plan Examiner’s Report and a Decision Statement which includes the Council’s proposed response to the Examiner’s recommended modifications.

Members considered a report that asked them to consider the Upper and Nether Poppleton Neighbourhood Plan Examiner’s Report and a Decision Statement which included the Council’s proposed response to the Examiner’s recommended modifications.

The Head of Integrated Strategy gave an update and praised Upper and Nether Poppleton Parish Councils and the Neighbourhood Plan Committee on producing a commendable Neighbourhood Plan. He thanked all involved for the technical work done on this.  He confirmed that the Plan had been in progress since 2014 and they had been several stages to work through. Following the submission consultation, the Plan was put forward for examination.  The Examiner’s report was received in May 2017 and it concluded that subject to modifications, the Plan should go forward to referendum.

Members noted the timelines to adoption and that the Plan would be voted on by eligible residents of Upper and Nether Poppleton, where a 50% response, from those entitled to vote, must be received.

Members welcomed and supported the Neighbourhood Plan and commended the commitment of all those involved in its development.  

Resolved: That the Local Plan Working Group recommend that Executive:

i)             Agree the Examiner’s modifications and the further minor modifications set out at Annex B of the report to the Upper and Nether Poppleton Neighbourhood Plan and that subject to those modifications, the Neighbourhood Plan meets the Basic Conditions and other legislative requirements.

Reason: To allow the Neighbourhood Plan to progress in line with neighbourhood planning legislation.

ii)       Agree that the Upper and Nether Poppleton Neighbourhood Plan, as modified by recommendation i) proceeds to a local referendum based on the geographic boundary of the parishes of Upper and Nether Poppleton, as recommend by the Examiner. 

Reason:     To allow the Neighbourhood Plan to progress in line with neighbourhood planning legislation.

(iii)                        Approve the Decision Statement, attached at Annex B of the report, to be published on the City of York Council’s website.

Reason:   To allow the Neighbourhood Plan to progress in line with  neighbourhood planning legislation.