Agenda and minutes

It was proposed and seconded “That Councillor Chris Over be appointed Chair of the West Northamptonshire Joint Strategic Planning Committee for the ensuing year.”

Upon a vote the motion was carried.

(Note: Councillor Tim Hadland was in the Chair until this point in the meeting.)

It was proposed and seconded “That Councillor Breese be appointed Vice Chair of the West Northamptonshire Joint Strategic Planning Committee for the ensuing year.”

Upon a vote the motion was carried.

Apologies were received from Councillors Jim Bass and Joy Capstick.

(Copy herewith)

The minutes of the meeting of the Joint Committee held on 20 December 2012 were agreed and signed by the Chair.

• Personal
• Disclosable Pecuniary

None.

None.

None.

(Verbal Update)

A copy of the announcement made at the meeting is attached.

The Chair announced that as a result of the complexity of additional work requested by the Inspector at the recent Public Examination hearings of the Joint Core Strategy a revised timetable for the work was being prepared.

It was expected that the next scheduled meeting of the Committee (on 18 November 2013) would be cancelled and a new meeting be arranged for 16 December 2013 when the Joint Core Strategy would be presented.  These changes to meetings would be made as soon as possible and notified on the JPU’s website.

It was expected that public consultation on any proposed modifications to the Joint Core Strategy would follow early in 2014 for six weeks and that Examination hearings would reconvene in early Spring 2014.  Dates would be confirmed on the JPU’s website as soon as possible, bearing in mind the need to make progress.

(Copy herewith)

Martin Henry updated the Joint Committee on the financial outturn of the West Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit’s budget for the 2012-13 financial year. Actual expenditure at 31 March 2013 was £730k.  The remaining unspent budget of £518,103, resulting mainly from delays in the Public Examination of the Joint Core Strategy, would be carried forward into 2013-14 as committed expenditure. The s151 officers in all partner authorities had endorsed this approach, as had the Business Sub Group at its meeting on 13 June 2013.

RESOLVED:

1.    That the outturn for the financial year 2012-13, which illustrated another active and dynamic year for the West Northamptonshire JPU, be noted.

2.    That it be noted that £518,103 was to be carried forward to financial year 2013-14 to enable the Joint Core Strategy work programme to remain on track and on target, as this amount was “committed expenditure” as set out in paragraph 36 of the Fifth Schedule of the Legal Agreement between partners.

(Copy herewith)

The Joint Committee considered the proposed budget for the West Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit for the financial year 2014-15 which needed to be approved by 31 October 2013 in accordance with the agreement between partner councils.  The proposed base budget, which had been approved by the Programme Board and the Business Sub Group, sought to incorporate a 10% reduction which would have the effect of reducing total aggregate contributions from partners from £691,480 to £622,330.

RESOLVED:

That the 2014-15 base budget of £622,330 for the JPU be approved so that it may be forwarded on to partner councils for their ratification.

(Copy herewith)

Dave Hemmett reported that the North Northamptonshire JPU were conducting a Non-Statutory Consultation until 11 October 2013 on a range of issues relating to their on-going Joint Core Strategy First Review pending the decision of the Secretary of State on the Rushden Lakes leisure and retail proposal.  The consultation was on matters not affected by the Rushden Lakes decision so that the Plan could proceed as quickly as possible once the decision on Rushden Lakes (expected in January 2014) was known.

Officers suggested some comments on consultation issues for the Joint Committee to consider.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted and the following be confirmed that:

·         There are no objections to any of the strategic housing and employment sites referred to in the document relating to the period up to 2031, which are considered broadly consistent with the submitted Spatial Strategy for West Northamptonshire;

·         There are no objections to the Interim Housing Policy Statement;

·         The principles of the Urban Structure Study are supported;

·         No comments are made in respect of the revised Statement of Community Involvement; and

That work on potential future directions of growth around Northampton will be undertaken, as necessary, in partnership with colleagues in the North Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit.

(Copy herewith)

The Joint Committee considered a report with regard to the Pre-Submission consultation by Aylesbury Vale District Council on their Vale of Aylesbury Plan.  The Joint Planning Unit had been consulted, on behalf of the Joint Committee, as a neighbouring strategic planning authority.  The JPU considered that the housing numbers promoted in the plan appeared to be too low, having been produced before the publication of the 2011 Census-based information, and could have an impact on neighbouring authorities, and therefore an objection had been lodged against the Vale of Aylesbury Plan by the JPU. The JPU had discussed this issue with Vale of Aylesbury officers, who felt their figures were valid. The Joint Committee was also asked if it wished officers to make oral representations to the Examination Hearings on the Vale of Aylesbury Plan (currently requested for November 2013) or if written representations would be sufficient.

Subsequently the JPU have been notified that a pre-hearing meeting will take place 25 October 2013 and that the initial hearings would take place on 12 and 13 December 2013 and further hearing will be held in weeks commencing 17 and 24 February 2014.

A member expressed surprise that the Vale of Aylesbury Plan had been submitted for Examination Hearings when an objection had been made to the Plan.

RESOLVED:

That the objection to the Vale of Aylesbury Plan, submitted on behalf of the Joint Committee by its officers, be confirmed and that officers should make oral representations to the hearings in due course.