Agenda item

This report seeks to update on the existing SPDs agreed for production, recommend the prioritisation for production of further SPDs with an understanding of their likely contents, resources and timescales. It also seeks approval to proceed with an altered list of SPDs and advises on where additional guidance would be beneficial in preference to an SPD.

The report also considers the e-petition received in March 2024 regarding reviewing the thresholds set out in the Controlling the Concentration of Houses in Multiple Occupation SPD (Draft, 2014).

Members considered a report that updated them on the existing Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) agreed for production and recommended the prioritisation for production of further SPDs with an understanding of their likely contents, resources, and timescales. It also sought approval to proceed with an altered list of SPDs and advised on where additional guidance would be beneficial in preference to an SPD.

The report also considered the ePetition received in March 2024 regarding reviewing the thresholds set out in the Controlling the Concentration of Houses in Multiple Occupation SPD.

The Head of Strategic Planning Policy, the Head of Planning and Development Services, the Principal Strategic Planning Policy Officer and the Interim Director of City Development presented the report and provided an update noting that:

·        Executive had previously agreed to prioritise the production of three SPDs which were Affordable Housing, Climate Change and Green Infrastructure. The Healthy Places and the Gypsy, Traveller, and Travelling Showpeople SPDs had also been identified as high priority.

·        The production of SPDs would help enable policy delivery by effectively supporting the implementation of Local Plan policies, where necessary. The content of SPDs would enable the council to define how applicants can meet the policy requirements in a consistent manner and would be a valuable tool for ensuring policies were applied to decisions on planning applications consistently.

·        SPDs were likely to be beneficial to council services/technical officers who currently provided detailed advice to applicants in relation to how to deliver and achieve policy expectations set out in the Local Plan. In future, the SPD could be signposted and should deal with the key issues that were most consistently asked about leading to efficiency.

·        There were complimentary subject areas which were not covered directly by policy in the Local Plan or did not require an SPD but would benefit from clear guidance to be a material consideration in the planning process. This guidance may sign post to existing information where helpful and in some cases confirm how the council intends to apply policy at a national level.

During a detailed discussion, Members considered the scope of the SPDs highlighted within the report and Annex C and the SPDs compatibility to the council’s core commitments and priorities. In answer to questions raised, officers noted:

·        A specific Accessibility SPD was not required as this would be reflected across all SPDs and was already a key priority area throughout the planning application and building regulations process.

·        Officers would consider the motions approved at Full Council regarding equality for disabled people and access for all and would continue to consult with the York Access Forum to develop checklists for design considerations. This guidance would complement the accessibility content in the Housing SPD, with a greater focus on the design of public realm and non-residential developments.

·        Each SPD production would align to achieve the council’s four core commitments for Equalities and Human Rights, Affordability, Climate Change and Health. Table 1 at paragraph 19 of the report indicated which core commitments each SPD would significantly address and officers agreed to consider reviewing the table to ensure accessibility was more visible across all SPDs.

·        Officers continued to collaborate with colleagues to progress the SPDs as well as with city partners and communities to deliver the priorities, but the technical requirements and expertise resource required to prepare and support the SPDs required evaluating.

·        The Community Infrastructure Levy would be submitted for examination once the Local Plan had been adopted, which would allow another mechanism for securing development contributions.

·        The most progressed SPD was Climate Change and Housing would be brought to committee later next year for consideration.

·        Further to the Government’s response to consultation of short-term lets, which needed to be enacted through legislation and may influence a future policy direction, the consideration of short-term housing lets could be included in the Housing SPD if timescales allowed.

·        Through the Local Plan examination, it was acknowledged that there was a new Special Area of Conservation policy directly for Strensall Common due to the harm that would be caused in relation to recreational pressure in accordance with the uplift of increased development in the localised area.

·        The Climate Change SPD would deal with the delivery of sustainable, renewable, and low carbon energy sourced construction designs of new developments, which were part of the three climate change policies within the Local Plan.

During debate, the priority level of the Transport SPD was discussed, and it was also suggested that officers considered boat dwellers within the appropriate SPD and ensure verges were included within the Green Infrastructure SPD.

Following further debate around available resources to timely deliver the ongoing production of the SPDs, short-term housing lets, and ensuring the social model of disability would be explicitly reflected throughout all the SPDs, it was

Resolved:

(i)           That the recommendations highlighted within the report be recommended to Executive subject to amending recommendation (x) to include that short-term housing lets be considered in the Housing SPD if timescales aligned following guidance from central government in terms of legislative requirements for short-term housing lets.

(ii)         That Executive also be recommended to consider:

·        approaching the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority for potential funding to support delivery of the SPDs, to address resourcing challenges and expedite delivery.

·        an additional recommendation to ensure all SPDs explicitly acknowledged the Social Model of Disability and to also consider Table 1, Indicative compatibility to Council Plan Core Commitments and priorities, to ensure accessibility was more visible across all the categories.

·        referencing and detailing houseboats in the Housing SPD.

·        the Transport SPD as a high priority.

Reason: To progress a suite of SPDs to support the policies set out in the new City of York Local Plan to ensure policy was clear and applied consistently.

An adjournment took place between 7:00 pm and 7:06 pm