Agenda and minutes

To confirm the Minutes of the Meeting held on 27 August 2014 (to be laid on the table half and hour before the meeting).

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 27 August 2014 were confirmed and signed.

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Brian Adams, Christiaan Hesse, Stephen Hill, Simon Inchbald, Bryn Morgan, Stephen O’Grady, Stefan Reynolds, Brett Vorley and John Ward.

To receive from Members declarations of interests in relation to any items included on the Agenda for this meeting in accordance with the Waverley Code of Local Government Conduct.

There were no declarations of interests.

The Chairman to respond to any questions received from members of the public of which notice has been given in accordance with Procedure Rule 10.

There were no questions from members of the public.

There were no matters raised under this heading.

The background papers relating to the following item in Part II are specified in the agenda for the meeting of the Joint Planning Committee.

To consider the report on the attached schedule.

WA/2014/1038 – Land south of Amlets Lane and North of Roberts Way, Cranleigh

Outline application for the erection of up to 125 dwellings and a mixed use Community Building (Classes D1 and B1a) together with public parkland with mixed use including orchard, food growing and wildlife habitat and associated works with all matters reserved (as amended by additional plan received on 25/07/2014, emails received on 26/08/2014 and 02/09/2014, and amplified by plans received on 26/08/2014 and on 18/09/2014).

The Chairman introduced the Officers present:

Matthew Evans, Head of Planning

Elizabeth Sims, Development Control Manager

Barry John Lomax, Eastern Area Team Manager

Barry Devlin, Planning Lawyer

Richard Cooper, Transport Development Planner, Surrey County Council

The Chairman invited Matthew Evans to provide some context for the Committee’s consideration of the planning application before them for determination.

Mr Evans advised the Committee that this application was the major greenfield application to be determined in Waverley since the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) had been published. The NPPF had marked a major shift in the government’s house-building policy: it was explicitly pro-growth, with a presumption in favour of sustainable development; it aimed to boost significantly the supply of housing; and local planning authorities were required to identify sites sufficient to provide 5 years worth of housing supply. Waverley currently could only evidence a 3.8-year supply, and therefore there was a strong imperative to address this deficiency.

Mr Evans advised the Committee on the relative weight of the NPPF and the emerging Local Plan and Cranleigh Neighbourhood Plan. Emerging plans or intentions carried no weight until the formal stage of “Publication”. Waverley’s Local Plan was due for Publication in early 2015; the Cranleigh Neighbourhood Plan was due for Publication in February 2015.

Mr Evans also addressed the issue of prematurity that had been raised in relation to the timing of this application and the emerging Local and Neighbourhood Plans. The NPPF and National Planning Policy Guidance (NPPG) indicated that prematurity would be unlikely to justify a refusal other than where it was clear that the adverse impact of granting permission would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits. Examples of prematurity given in the NPPG were where “development is so substantial, or its cumulative effect would be so significant that to grant permission would undermine plan-making process and the emerging plan is at an advanced stage”. Refusal of planning permission on grounds of prematurity would seldom be justified where a draft Local Plan had yet to be submitted for examination; or in the case of a Neighbourhood Plan before the end of the LPA publicity period.

The Chairman invited Mr Lomax to present a summary of the application proposals and the key determining issues. Mr Lomax also updated the Committee on matters arising following preparation of the agenda report, including the receipt of an amended plan on 18/09/2014, and receipt of comments from the Surrey Hills AONB Planning Advisor and the County Highway Authority on the revised plan, which had been circulated in the Update Report.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.