Agenda item

The purpose of this report is to obtain feedback and authorisation from the Executive to allow the draft Dunsfold Park Garden Village (DPGV) Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) to be subject to public consultation. 

The long-term objective (circa February 2022), is that the SPD is adopted as a material planning consideration to be taken into account when determining future planning applications associated with the site and guiding the discharge of the masterplan condition associated with the outline planning application.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Executive:

1.    Considers the recommendations of the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee and agree that the SPD be subject to a four-week public consultation under Regulation 13 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (“the Regulations”).

2.    Delegates authority to the Head of Planning and Economic Development after consultation with the PFH for Planning Policy and Services to make minor editorial changes prior to consultation as a result of any changes made by the Executive.

RESOLVED that

1.    The recommendations of the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee be noted and the SPD be subject to a four-week public consultation under Regulation 13 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (“the Regulations”); and

2.    Authority be delegated to the Head of Planning and Economic Development after consultation with the PFH for Planning Policy and Services to make minor editorial changes prior to consultation as a result of any changes made by the Executive.

Reason: To comply with the Regulations, the SPD must be subject to a public consultation.

[Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee]

Councillor Townsend presented the report which set out a draft supplementary planning document for the Dunsfold Park Garden Village.  The Executive was committed to delivering the housing on the site set out in LPP1, including 2,600 dwellings, with commercial space and a new primary school.  The Executive was also committed to the development being sustainable and protecting the AONB whilst delivering for the residents of the surrounding villages.  Officers had been working with the site owners and the design consultants, Allies and Morrison to develop a high quality draft planning document.  The document was presented to the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee the previous week and Members had been supportive and made some important observations for consideration.  Subject to approval, there would be a four week public consultation period with a view to adopting the document in early 2022.

Alistair MacDonald presented on behalf on Allies & Morrison, setting out the policy context and background, the purpose of the document and the process for preparation of the SPD.    The SPD would play a key role in the delivery of the various development options for the site.  The SPD document set out four themes and eight spatial principles.  There were a number of elements which it was vital to retain, including the business park, the runway park, a strong village centre, the landscape to the canal corridor and the neighbourhood “petals”.  There were other opportunities to enhance the proposals as applications came forward and create a vibrant destination with a sense of place.   

The Leader thanked Alistair for his presentation and advised that the Executive would respond formally to the comments and observations made by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee as part of this process. 

Councillor MacLeod welcomed the draft SPD which would be an important document in the planning process.

Councillor Hyman spoke on the proposals, expressing concern that the Council would be giving up control of the development and that the appropriate assessments were not in place, and therefore the Council was not complying with planning guidance.  The Head of Planning had told the Audit Committee that the next step would be to demonstrate the effectiveness of SANG and that the Council was writing to Natural England to obtain the correct bird numbers.  The document should not go to consultation without the appropriate assessment in place.

The Leader responded and advised that the Council was not the owner of the site and therefore did not have control of the site, but could have some influence by making policy at this level however national planning policy was set by the Government, over which the Council had no control.  The Leader also spoke in defence of Council officers who had responded to Councillor Hyman on his points on more than one occasion and obtained independent legal advice on the matter.  The Council has an appropriate assessment, however it was for the statutory bodies of Natural England and the Planning Inspectorate to determine its appropriateness.

Councillor Townsend reiterated that independent expert opinion had been sought on this issue and acknowledged that Councillor Hyman did not agree with that advice.  She stressed that the document being considered was a supplementary planning document, not a planning application.  There was no proposal to change anything in the Local Plan, which had been independently assessed and deemed to be sound.  Councillor Hyman would be able to submit comments on the document as part of the consultation.  The document sought to ensure that whatever is built on the site in future was of a high quality and sustainable design.

Councillor MacLeod supported the comments made by Councillor Townsend and referred to the comments of the planning officers contained in the report relating to the relationship of the SPD to the Local Plan and the planning process.  He felt that Councillor Hyman’s comments related to the Local Plan, rather than the SPD which related to design and not housing and habitats, and were therefore not relevant to this discussion.

Councillor Clark advised that an email had been sent to Councillor Hyman from the Environmental Assessment Officer at Surrey County Council addressing his concerns. 

The Leader referred to the planning history of the site and highlighted the length of time it had taken to reach this point and stressed the importance of ensuring that the development proceeded.

Councillor Williams reminded Members that the proposals sought to articulate the Council’s vision for the site and ensuring a sustainable development and welcomed the document. 

The Leader thanked everyone involved in the development of the draft SPD and it was

RESOLVED that

1.    The recommendations of the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee be noted and the SPD be subject to a four-week public consultation under Regulation 13 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (“the Regulations”); and

2.    Authority be delegated to the Head of Planning and Economic Development after consultation with the PFH for Planning Policy and Services to make minor editorial changes prior to consultation as a result of any changes made by the Executive.

Reason: To comply with the Regulations, the SPD must be subject to a public consultation.