Minutes – Planning and Conservation Committee – 2 February 2023

The agenda and papers for this meeting are available here: Planning and Conservation Committee – 2 February 2023 – agenda and papers

The minutes of this meeting are presented below.

You can also download a PDF copy of the minutes here: Minutes – Planning and Conservation Committee – 2 February 2023

PLANNING AND CONSERVATION COMMITTEE

Minutes

Date: 2 February 2023

Time: 2.00pm – 3.15pm

Location: The Council Chamber – The Council House • North Street • CHICHESTER • West Sussex • PO19 1LQ

PRESENT: Councillor Quail (Chairman), Councillor Corfield, Councillor Gaskin

EX-OFFICIO: The Deputy Mayor (Councillor Plowman) and Councillor Apel

ALSO IN ATTENDANCE: Councillor Sharp, Planning Adviser, Member Services Support Officer

 

117. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

RESOLVED to accept and approve apologies and reasons for absence from the meeting from the Mayor (Councillor Joy) and Councillor Scicluna.

118. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST BY MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE IN MATTERS ON THE AGENDA FOR THIS MEETING

Councillor Quail declared an interest as Chairman of Westgate Residents Association.

The Deputy Mayor and Councillor Apel declared an interest as Members of Chichester District Council.

The Deputy Mayor declared an interest as a member of the Chichester Conservation Area Advisory Committee.

119. MINUTES OF THE PLANNING AND CONSERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON 15 DECEMBER 2022 AND THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE PLANNING AND CONSERVATION COMMITTEE HELD ON THURSDAY 26 JANUARY 2023

Councillor Corfield asked that the minutes note that the public consultation mentioned in minute 112 of the Planning and Conservation Committee meeting held on 15 December 2022 had not taken place.

The Deputy Mayor expressed the opinion that the Special Meeting of the Committee held on 26 January 2023 and its outcome had been particularly important in light of the concerns being raised about the Southern Access Route.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Planning and Conservation Committee meeting held on 15 December 2022 and the Special Meeting of the Planning and Conservation Committee held on Thursday 26 January 2023, having been circulated, be approved and signed as a correct record.

120. APPLICATIONS FOR PLANNING PERMISSION

The Planning Adviser informed Members that, while no new applications had been received requiring the Committee’s attention, a request to review an amended application had been received.

22/01178/DOM 19 Highland Road Chichester West Sussex PO19 5QX

(Previously discussed at the Planning and Conservation Committee meeting held on 21 July 2022 – minute 34 refers)

Objection withdrawn:

No objection on the basis of the proposed amended plans.

121. WHITEHOUSE FARM UPDATE

The Chairman observed that the latest updates regarding Whitehouse Farm had been discussed and minuted at the Special Meeting of the Planning and Conservation Committee held on 26 January 2023.

The Deputy Mayor informed Members that the Whitehouse Farm application had not yet been formally submitted and the Committee discussed whether it was being delayed and if it might be presented at the April meeting of Chichester District Council’s Planning Committee.

The Member Services Support Officer noted, for the minutes, that the Finance Committee meeting held on Monday 30 January 2023 had approved the funding of no more than £5000, for the additional work being requested from PJA Traffic Consultants regarding the Southern Access Route (Finance Committee minute 107 refers).

In response to a question from Councillor Apel, the Deputy Mayor advised that the pre-election period prior to the May elections would not affect the normal business of the Councils.

122. LOCAL PLAN UPDATE

The Planning Adviser, with the aid of a short presentation (slides included with these minutes), informed Members of the District Council’s formal Regulation 19 consultation for the pre-submission Local Plan would be taking place from 3 February to 17 March 2023.

Members were further informed that the consultation was narrowly focused on the legal tests of soundness, legal compliance and duty to co-operate, though respondents would have the opportunity to raise any issue relating to the Plan.

The main policy changes from the “preferred approach” version were outlined.

The Committee was advised that the Housing Allocations within the Parish would now be 180 within the remaining Southern Gateway sites with an additional 270 for the rest of the Parish.

Members were also advised that improvements to the A27 at the Fishbourne roundabout would be funded by developer contributions and that it was likely that this would also be the case for the Bognor roundabout, depending on the outcome of a “monitor and manage” approach.

The Planning Adviser reported that the Whitehouse Farm Phase 2 developers would continue to pay the previously agreed amount of £1,803 per dwelling to ensure continued deliverability of the whole scheme which was now at an advanced stage.

Members were informed that a similar agreement was also in place for advanced scheme at Tangmere. It was noted that all other future housing development would be required to pay the new contribution of £7,728 per dwelling.

In response to questions from Members about a start date for the new charges, the Planning Adviser stated that the District Council had not yet confirmed when they would begin implementing this policy. She suggested that they could wait until the Plan went to examination, but that it was possible they could introduce it earlier (for example, following the consultation).

Members were advised that there could be a potential issue of deliverability of the Local Plan if too many large scale housing developments were permitted before the new policy started as the amount raised through developer contributions over the Local Plan period could fall short of the cost of the A27 improvements required.

Members were updated on possible future National Planning Policy Framework changes relevant to the calculation of housing need and the rules on housing land supply which would be relevant to the Local Plan.

Members were advised that there was an upcoming All Parishes meeting to inform Parish Councils about the pre-submission Local Plan on Monday 6th February and that the City Councils usual representatives, Councillors Clare Apel and Cherry Hughes, would be emailed a zoom invitation.

123. NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN UPDATE

In the absence of the Chairman of the Neighbourhood Plan Working Group, the Chairman summarised the report that he had submitted and which had been circulated to Members (included with these minutes).

She asked the Committee to note the details of the public consultation events highlighted in the report and to give them their support.

The Deputy Mayor commented on the progress to date of the Neighbourhood Plan and the length of time it was taking.

124. CITY CENTRE TASK FORCE UPDATE – TO INCLUDE AN UPDATE ON THE LEVELLING UP FUND BID OUTCOME

The Deputy Mayor reminded Members of the purpose of the City Centre Task Force and advised the Committee that a meeting had been held earlier in the week to divide up the city in to areas for allocation to the various volunteer groups.

Members were shown the map and it was agreed that this would be sent out with the minutes.

The Member Services Support Officer advised the Committee that the map was in draft form and very fluid with changes possible if the allocated groups felt they would be better utilised elsewhere or were unable to cover the areas marked.

Members were informed that, as part of the City Council’s organising role, the groups were in the process of being contacted and it was hoped that work would start soon with a target of the end of March for completion.

The Deputy Mayor also informed Members that it was hoped that a thank you event could be held for the volunteers at the end of the project. He mentioned possible venues but advised nothing had been formally arranged at this time.

He expressed the hope that the project would last beyond the initial period and help to generate a sense of community and civic pride in the city.

125. REGULATION 7 CONSENT – REMOVAL OF DEEMED CONSENT FOR ESTATE AGENT BOARDS

The Planning Adviser summarised the papers that had been circulated with the agenda.

Members were informed that, prior to the decision by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities; there had been a presumption that estate agents signs were permitted on vacant properties.

They were further advised that this presumption no longer applied for units within the primary and secondary retail streets within the Chichester Conservation Area.

The Planning Adviser informed Members that this change of policy applied going forward and that, even if permission was applied for, the removal of the deemed consent made it unlikely that the application would be approved.

The Deputy Mayor reiterated the point that this applied to boards going forward in time. He also reported that enforcement officers would be requesting that older boards be removed.

The Deputy Mayor asked for a note of thanks to be made to Mr Keith Tunstall, a Chichester resident, who had been a driving force behind the campaign to remove deemed consent for estate agent boards.

126. SUPPLEMENTARY AGENDA – 20MPH DEFAULT SPEED LIMIT FOR CHICHESTER

Councillor Corfield introduced her report that had been circulated to Councillors and summarised the purpose of 20MPH Default Speed Limit project.

She outlined her request and asked the Committee to recommend the creation of a Working Group to discuss the 20MPH speed limit and develop proposals for policies and actions that would be presented to the Planning and Conservation Committee.

Members were advised that the proposal was to hold an initial meeting of interested parties and, from that, it was hoped that a focused Working Group could be created to take the discussion further.

The Committee expressed unanimous support for the proposal.

After a short further debate, the Committee RECOMMENDED to Full Council on 22 February 2023 that Councillor Corfield’s request to form a 20MPH Default Speed Limit Working Group, reporting to the Planning and Conservation Committee, be approved and that an exploratory meeting of interested parties be called with the intention of forming a Working Group for the development of a City Council 20MPH Default Speed limit policy and action plan.

127. ITEMS TO BE INCLUDED ON THE NEXT AGENDA

• 20MPH Default Speed Limit for Chichester
• Whitehouse Farm
• Local Plan
• Westgate Automatic Number Plate Recognition system

128. DATE OF NEXT ORDINARY MEETING

The Chairman noted the typing error in the agenda and confirmed that the next meeting of the Planning and Conservation Committee would take place on:

Thursday 2 MARCH 2023

The meeting closed at 3.15pm