Agenda and minutes

Apologies were made by Cllr Cleary and Lizzie Phippard.

Cllr Potter approved the minutes, seconded by Cllr Goodrick

Matters arising from Minutes

Cllr Potter had two questions:

Regarding brownfield sites, is it correct that the Council has very little leverage to make developers use brownfield sites?

Officer: We support redevelopment of brownfield sites but there are other policy considerations that we have to give equal consideration to, for instance, flood risk and site deliverability.

Do we know when the amendments to the National Planning Policy Framework are forthcoming?

Cllr Potter accepted that this was uncertain.

The report was for discussion and regarding the treatment of the Local Needs Occupancy condition (LNOC) as part of the review and the consideration of the application of a Primary Residence condition (PRC). Members were advised that they may want to give a steer on their (non-) application.

Debated points

Members and Officers discussed the reasons behind the condition being introduced in the Local Plan Strategy. That whilst it delivered specific opportunities to meet a local housing need its primary objective was to restrict incremental housing delivery and to focus housing through larger allocated sites to deliver key infrastructure, affordable homes. Policy SP1: development will be restricted within the other villages and open countryside. Policy SP2 identifies the circumstances where the LNOC will be applied. SP21 is where the condition is actually set out. 

There was a debate about whether or not the policy was successful. Officers explained that it was successful as a restrictive policy tool, and was to stem externally driven demand for small scale incremental growth.  Some Members were unhappy with the policy being viewed as successful. But officers and members agreed that the LNOC did not address local housing needs in a broad sense, and would only meet the needs of a relatively small number of people.

·         There was a general widespread acceptance that things have changed since LNOC was introduced. National policy is focused with housing delivery, and to ensure that it is not artificially restricted.

·         LNOC was described as a contradiction because it suggests both giving local people the opportunity to buy locally, but it also blocks houses from being developed. With such low levels of permissions granted, and even lower delivery on the ground.

·         LNOC was criticized as it does not provide any affordable housing.

·         LNOC was described as too restrictive with regards to developments in villages.

·         LNOC leads to significant property devaluation.

·         Concern that properties of high value are more likely to have the condition lifted- which is unfair.

·         Should not discriminate against speculative builders, as it is the small builders who are most affected by this policy. Members asked if small builders had been consulted and what was their reaction. No small builders had responded to the consultation, though Officers are aware of the dissatisfaction with the policy expressed by local developers in the course of determining planning applications.

·         One Member pointed out that there is an important distinction between people with second homes, holiday lets and those who rent-out their second homes.

·         Members discussed the value of second homes and holiday lets to local tourism. Matters of council tax collection for commercial properties were raised.

·         The PRC was briefly discussed, benefits of it being that it means people live in villages and contribute to the local economy, regardless of where they’re come from. Another Member pointed out that PRC doesn’t deliver affordable housing.

·         There was an initial discussion about the replacement of the LNOC with the PRC.

Questions from Members

·         It was posed that by applying the LNOC we were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 52.

Meeting adjourned 20:20. Primary Residence Condition to be discussed in more detail at next meeting.

Date of the next meeting: Provisionally 28 July 2022