Agenda item

(This report, together with the appendices, is printed as a supplementary document.  Members should retain this document for the purpose of future consideration at meetings of the Executive on 20 June and Full Council on 26 June 2017.)

Report DRR17/026

Members were requested to endorse the Council’s Proposed Submission Draft Local Plan, together with the Policy Map Sets (Appendix A) and a Schedule of Proposed Minor Modifications (Appendix B). 

Formal consultation on the proposed Submission Draft Local Plan was undertaken in November/December 2016.  Responses to the consultation were summarised in Appendix C of the report.

In the event that the Proposed Submission Draft Local Plan was adopted by Full Council, the document would be submitted to the Secretary of State for inspection.  A response could be expected approximately 10 months following submission.

The Chief Planner confirmed to Councillor Buttinger that reference had been made in the Proposed Submission Draft Local Plan to landscaping and the protection of native plants and hedgerows and advised that supplementary guidance could be formulated.

Referring to page 525 of the Proposed Submission Draft Local Plan – Changes to Metropolitan Land, Green Chain and Urban Open Space Designations, Councillor Mellor was disappointed to note the deletion of MOL/GC designations for sites 13, 14 and 15 located within his Ward as he had previously requested they be retained.  He considered deletion of these designations would result in a loss of valuable land.

The Head of Planning Strategy, Renewal and Recreation reported that only the areas which had already been developed were taken out of the Metropolitan Open Land designation within the Proposed Submission Draft Local Plan and the undeveloped land retained the designation.  It was confirmed to Councillor Mellor that deletion of a designation referred solely to the developed land within a defined area.

Councillor Brooks was informed that whilst the designation of UOS allocated to the area around Winsford Gardens, Croydon Road, Penge would be deleted, the gardens themselves would still retain the UOS designation.

Referring to Views of Local Importance (page 458), Councillor Buttinger requested whether a specific view from Norsted Lane, Pratts Bottom, had been considered as a VLI in order to protect and retain the view across the city of London which could be seen from this site.  The Head of Planning Strategy confirmed that whilst this area had been reviewed, at the present time, incorporating the site into the document would result in a material amendment which would significantly delay the adoption of the Proposed Submission Draft Local Plan.  A policy did exist however, which protected sites such as this one. (Subsequent to the meeting Councillor Buttinger was informed that this was Draft Policy 37.)

The Chief Planner confirmed that the list of housing sites would be updated periodically when the 5 year housing land supply was reviewed. 

The Council sought provision of 35% affordable homes on developments providing 11 or more residential units.  Where an application proposed a level below this threshold, a viability assessment would be required which would be scrutinised by an independent person.

It was noted that the intermediate housing income threshold outlined on page 49 of the report (paragraph 2.1.35), was already two years old.  The Chief Planner confirmed that this information would be updated every three years and was included in the schedule of minor modifications.

The Chairman put the recommendation in the report to the meeting and it was unanimously agreed that:-

1  the summary of representations (Appendix C) and the suggested minor modifications (Appendix B) in response to the Regulation 19 consultation on the Proposed Submission Draft Local Plan (Appendix A), be noted;

2  Members of the Executive be recommended to agree the following documents as the main submission documents which will form the Bromley Local Plan:-

  a)  Proposed Submission Draft Local Plan (November 2016) (Appendix A – part 1);

  b)  Policy Map Sets (November 2016) (Appendix A – parts 2 and 3);

  c)  Bromley Local Plan – Schedule of Proposed Minor Modifications (June 2017) (Appendix B); and

3)  Members of the Executive be recommended to delegate authority to the Chief Planner, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to approve the preparation of necessary further information and amendments to the Bromley Local Plan Proposed Submission Draft Local Plan:-

  a)  prior to, or soon after, submission of the Bromley Local Plan to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for Independent Examination, including the Regulation 22 documents; and

  b)  during the public examination in response to, for example, unexpected national policy changes.