To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor David Burbage.

To receive any declarations of interest.

Councillor Gerry Clark declared an interest in Item 6 (Cookham High Street Conservation Area Appraisal Consultation and Adoption) as he was a Ward Councillor for Cookham.

It was announced by the Chairman that the meeting was being recorded.

To confirm the Part I minutes of the meetings of the 28 June and 14 July 2016.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Part I minutes of the meetings on the 28 June and 14 July 2016 were agreed as correct records.

The Strategic Director of Corporate and Community Services, Russell O’Keefe, assured the Panel that they would all receive updates on the queries noted in the 28 June 2016 minutes.

The Chairman explained that Item 7 (Finance Updates) would be heard second after Item 4 (Borough Local Plan, Consultation Draft – Regulation 18), followed by Items 5 (Affordable Housing) and 6 (Cookham High Street Conservation Area Appraisal Consultation and Adoption) as per the agenda.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the order of business as detailed in the agenda be varied.

To comment on the report to be considered by Cabinet on the 24 November 2016.

The Head of Planning, Jenifer Jackson, explained that the Borough Local Plan (BLP) was a key corporate priority and over the last few years the Council had been preparing a new BLP that would provide the development plan framework to guide the future development of the Borough. It was noted that it was important that the Council had an up-to-date Local Plan that had been prepared and adopted in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), published in March 2012.

Members were informed that the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government had identified as a key priority the requirement for all local planning authorities to prepare and adopt a NPPF compliant Local Plan without further delay.

The Head of Planning  went onto explain that since the agenda had been printed the recommendations to Cabinet had been amended to include an additional recommendation to ‘Approve the plan period from 2013 to 2033 to require a total of 14,240 dwellings and adjust the draft Borough Local Plan to reflect this change as necessary’

Members were referred to paragraph 2.9 of the report.

The Chairman invited the three registered speakers to each address the Panel. 

• Patrick Griffin (Chairman, Society for the Protection of Ascot and Environs Trustee, CPRE Berkshire) asked the following question:

Why is the draft BLP allowing policies that would override NP policies?  Some of the BLP policy wording will totally negate and override NP policies, to the point of making the Ascot, Sunninghill & Sunningdale NP irrelevant.  Design policies SP3 and SP4 are examples.  The Royal Borough will know that the NP design policies have had considerable success in protecting the character of our area, it would be a major blow to the local community to lose them.  It would also undermine the other ten neighbourhood plans in process.

The Lead Member for Planning, Councillor Derek Wilson, responded by stating that although the draft BLP identified policies that were strategic policies SP3 and SP4 were overarching policies relating to design and were supportive of the Neighbourhood Plan.

• Patrick Griffin asked a supplementary question about the 2010 document and stated that the design could be taken from relationship with local buildings and not necessarily the Plan.

Councillor David Hilton agreed with Patrick Griffins point and stated that it was an evidence base that supported the Neighbourhood Plan and BLP.  It was confirmed that the detailed evidence base remained in place and was supported.  Councillor David Hilton added that having said that the policies were deemed to be in conformance with the BLP we have today but that the Council would only find that out at the Appeal stage. 

The Head of Planning added that the Ascot, Sunninghill & Sunningdale Neighbourhood Plan was made before that and stated that the draft BLP would have to be in line with the National Framework. 

§  Diana Tombs (on behalf of the Ascot, Sunninghill and Sunningdale Neighbourhood Plan Delivery Group) asked the following question:

Why is there nothing in the draft BLP that sets  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

By the Finance Partner - Adults and Communities, Alan Abrahamson (RBWM).

The Finance Partner - Corporate Services & Operations, Mark Lampard, informed Members that the October and November Finance Update reports had been presented to this meeting as they report significant pressures on the council’s temporary accommodation budgets. 

The Finance Partner - Corporate Services & Operations explained that the budget for supporting residents into temporary accommodation was projecting an overspend of £470k for this year, 2016/17.  It was noted that the projection was based on a detailed review of the housing benefit subsidy for those in temporary accommodation, and the potential impact of the new benefit cap, introduced from November this year. 

Members were informed that mitigation of this pressure included increased efforts to source temporary accommodation at rates closer to the local housing benefit reference rate, plus early identification of those residents adversely affected to provide them with individual advice and support.   

The Strategic Director Corporate & Community Services, Russell O’Keefe, stated that this was a national trend, and noted significant issues reported by London Boroughs. 

The Finance Partner - Corporate Services & Operations stated that the un-mitigated budget overspend projected for the next financial year was close to £1million. 

RESOLVED Unanimously; That the Panel noted the Councils projected outturn position.

To comment on the report to be considered by Cabinet on the 24 November 2016.

The Head of Planning informed Members that the report proposed approval of a guide for developers of sites which required the provision of affordable housing to meet national and local planning policy. It was noted that this would apply to sites being brought forward through the planning application process in advance of the new Borough Local Plan.

Councillor Beer raised concerns that para 2.6 first bullet (In addition to the planning process, as guided by this proposed Planning Guidance document, the Council’s other affordable housing delivery mechanisms include:

•        Progressing the Council’s own land holdings for the delivery of affordable housing with developers through Joint Ventures and RBWM Property Company) in his view should be done with the housing associations who have specialist skills in providing affordable housing rather than developers who would be ‘doing it for a profit’.

The Planning & Housing Overview & Scrutiny Panel commented that they felt the scheme identified a range of possibilities to build dwellings that would be specifically designed for affordable housing in the Borough whilst at the same time to tailoring ownership using social land orders to manage them but to take a revenue stream from that asset that could be used to support Council resources.

The Planning & Housing Overview & Scrutiny Panel agreed (Councillors Malcolm Alexander, Gerry Clark, David Evans, David Hilton and Leo Walters voted for and Councillor Beer voted against) to recommend to Cabinet that they approve the Affordable Housing Planning Guidance Document. 

By the Head of Planning, Jenifer Jackson (RBWM).

The Planning Manager informed Members that a review of the appraisal for Cookham High Street Conservation Area was needed to bring it inline with current Historic England guidance. It was noted that this report set out planned consultation on the draft document as local authorities had a duty under section 71(1) of the Planning (Listed buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 to produce such documents and it was appropriate to consult publicly on the documents prior to formal adoption.

The Planning Manager went onto explain that following the outcome of the consultation it was recommended, that the approval of the document was subject to a decision by Cabinet before it was adopted for use in development management (Planning).  It was noted that if adopted, there would be no financial implications arising.

Councillor Gerry Clark congratulated the Planning Manager on a comprehensive report and stated that he and the Panel would welcome feedback after the consultation. 

RESOLVED Unanimously: That the Panel noted the draft appraisal and the intention to carry out public consultation.

·         Monday 23 January 2017.

·         Wednesday 19 April 2017.

Members noted the following future meeting dates (7pm start):

·         Monday 23 January 2017.

·         Wednesday 19 April 2017.

To consider passing the following resolution:-

“That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the

public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting whilst discussion

takes place on item 10 on the grounds that they involve the likely

disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1-7 of part I

of Schedule 12A of the Act"