East Devon draft Local Plan: "looking at some form of consultation, with a view to re-examine with the planning inspector in October."

The District Council has refuted criticism over its Local Plan process:
Futures Forum: East Devon draft Local Plan: District Council response
... and has considered an 'action plan' for moving matters forward:
Futures Forum: East Devon draft Local Plan: working on delivering a revised Local Plan

It has now been agreed to by the planning committee:

East Devon Local Plan – Inspector’s letter and future action:

The Committee considered the Planning Policy Manager’s report outlining proposed further actions arising from the Local Plan Inspector’s letter dated 31 March 2014 and seeking a recommendation to Council to adopt a Devon wide Duty to Cooperate Protocol. The report also included an update on the East Devon Villages Development Plan Document.

The Planning Policy Manager drew the Committee’s attention to the action plan within the report, highlighting the main issues raised by the Inspector and action or consideration proposed in response.

In respect of questions raised by Members during debate, the Planning Policy

Manager advised:

 It would be premature to progress further with the production of the Villages Development Plan Document, including discussions with the parishes, until the outcomes of the Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) were known.

 Five year housing land supply figures were currently calculated on a bi-annual basis and involved significant officer resource to calculate. Regular updates would be less critical when the Council was in a position where it could demonstrate that it had a five year supply (plus 20%).

 The type and length of further public consultations required would be dependent on the outcomes of the SHMA and gypsy and traveller study.

 Trends over the last 50 years had shown that household sizes were decreasing and therefore there would be a need for more housing even if the population remained the same. East Devon had a growing population.

 Further work was required on sustainability. The Inspector’s reports in respect of recent appeals would inform this work.

 The Council had a duty to cooperate; discussions were ongoing with neighbouring authorities on each of the district’s ability to accommodate growth. Analysis and assessment of the options available were required.

 Local Plan Examination Oral Hearings were hoped to resume in October with a target of adopting the Local Plan in early 2015. Increasing weight could be afforded to the Plan as it progressed through examination.

 The Council would continue to remain vulnerable to unplanned development until it could demonstrate a five year housing land supply (plus 20%). There were some National Planning Policy Framework policies that could not be applied without a five year land supply, however the Council had successfully defended appeals on other grounds. It would not be possible to update the Development Management Committee on the latest position in respect of the five year land supply before each Committee meeting due to the work involved, however a steer could be given in light of significant permissions granted.

 Plan period – looking forward a possible option could be for the Local Plan to have a start date of 2014.

The Chairman’s thanks, echoed by the Committee, were extended to Planning Policy Manager for his detailed report.

RECOMMENDATION: that Council adopts the Devon Duty to Cooperate Protocol. The protocol was endorsed by the Development Management Committee.

RESOLVED:

1. that the Development Management Committee endorses the proposed draft Local Plan Action Plan for completion.

2. that the Development Management Committee notes the position in respect of the production of the East Devon Villages Development Plan Document.

3. that the Planning Policy Manager send a letter to Parish Councils to update on the current position in respect of the production of the East Devon Villages Development Plan Document.

www.eastdevon.gov.uk/dev_man_080514_mins_additional_meeting.pdf

This is the take from the Herald:

Local Plan delayed until next year

Harvey GavinMonday, May 19, 2014
6:00 AM

 

A blueprint for future development in East Devon is unlikely to be in place until ‘early 2015’, district council planners have confirmed.

In addition to the delay, the number of homes to be built in towns and villages may have to be revised when new housing need figures are finalised later this year.

The draft East Devon Local Plan earmarks 150 houses for Sidmouth and 300 for Ottery St Mary until 2026.

But during a public examination in February, a government inspector identified ‘serious failings’ with the out-of-date evidence used to arrive at the numbers.

Planning Inspector Anthony Thickett also highlighted concerns over EDDC’s blanket five per cent growth target for villages in the district, saying that each settlement should be judged on its ability to accommodate new homes.

Updating councillors on an ‘action plan’ to address the issues raised by Mr Thickett, planning policy manager Matthew Dickins said that work was underway to produce up-to-date evidence, which he hoped would be ready ‘later in the year’.

He added: “We aim to be coming back to [the planning] committee in early July if possible. We would then be looking at some form of consultation with a view to re-examine with the planning inspector in October. If the inspector is satisfied with the council’s position, we would be looking at an early 2015 adoption date.”

Councillor Susie Bond, district representative for Feniton and Buckerell, said she was concerned East Devon would remain ‘vulnerable to inappropriate development’ until the Local Plan is in place. “Are we stuck with a first-come, first-served approach favoured by developers, without the tools to rebuff them?” she asked.

Mr Dickins admitted the region would be under threat until the plan is adopted, but he cited recent appeals at Tipton St John and Feniton as examples where inspectors have turned down applications for new homes on sustainability grounds.

The delay in finishing the Local Plan is expected to cost taxpayers a further £12,000 in consultants’ fees in addition to an ‘inspection budget’ for 2013/14 of £110,000.

Local Plan delayed until next year - News - Devon 24

With further comment from the EDA website:

THE “DUTY TO CO-OPERATE” – HOW ABOUR SOME CO-OPERATION TO TAKE OUR OVERSPILL NOW?

MAY 19, 2014

The National Planning Policy Statement requires councils to alert other councils around them when it seems that they cannot build enough houses in their own district and to ask those councils to take some or all of their overspill.

Exeter, of course, now has not only Cranbrook to take its overspill in East Devon but also the thousands of extra houses agreed by EDDC’s Development
Management Committee in the EDDC area adjoining Pinhoe.

Now we have an application for (initially?) 300 houses at Uplyme to accommodate the “needs” of Lyme Regis (perhaps for more second homes?) on the A3052 at Uplyme in East Devon.

It might seem now, that having accommodated Lyme and Exeter we have run out of space for our own houses.

So, what about South Somerset which conveniently shares a Chief Executive with us and is also coincidentally in similar trouble with its Local Plan.

There are plenty of green fields between Axminster and Chard (particularly around Yarcombe in the Blackdown Hills near the border) and so convenient for commuting to Exeter, Taunton and beyond, especially if the A303 is widened.

Why hasn’t the Chief Executive been talking to himself?

The “duty to co-operate” – how abour some co-operation to take OUR overspill now? | East Devon Alliance
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