Madam Chairman, it gives me enormous pleasure to be able to bring the Local Plan to Council for adoption at last, following the agreement of Cabinet earlier this evening. In my speech to Cabinet I thanked the public and MVDC staff for their hard work in developing the Plan. I would now like to thank members for their help and support in guiding the work through the Planning Policy Working Group. The membership has changed regularly through the five and a half years since I became Planning portfolio holder, but thanks to all those members who have sat on that group and all the members who were not on the core group but who attended the working group and provided support. I would like to identify a few members by name who have made a significant difference to the Plan. They come from across the chamber as it was decidedly a joint effort, and all members were invited to attend the meetings. My particular thanks go to Cllr Malcomson, Cllr Wellman, Cllr Hunt, Cllr Wiltshire and Cllr Stansfield. There were others who are no longer members of Council who also deserve thanks.
Madam Chairman, the Local Plan is much more than a document about meeting housing need, but a good deal of time and effort is taken up by worry about specific development sites, particularly Green Belt sites. It is worth noting again that only 0.65% of the existing Green Belt in the District has been identified to be released for future development. There are sites in most of our wards that we wish were not there. However, I said in my speech on the opening day of the Inspectors Examination that I felt it was a fair plan, in as much as what could be seen as pain was spread as evenly as possible across the District. The sites within the Plan, which has been found by the Inspector as sound and legally compliant, can now be scrutinised in depth through the Development Management process.
The important parts of the Plan have been discussed far less outside of the PPWG, but are very worthy of note here, as the policies have been developed to enhance the future shape of the area, and whilst they provide the possibility of providing homes for young people, they also identify how we can provide for those who are less fortunate and require truly affordable homes, whilst protecting our environment, increasing biodiversity and providing the necessary infrastructure to support the new homes.
The benefits of the new Local Plan include;
- More affordable housing, 40% for most larger sites, including homes for social rent
- Stronger policies for the design of new buildings and ensuring it blends with the local character
- Over 230 new Locally Listed Buildings
- Over 27 parks and open spaces given extra strong protection
- Zero carbon homes for all new large housing developments
- Electric vehicle charging points at one socket per new home
- 20% biodiversity replacement to compensate for new development
- Additional temporary bulge school classes as required
- New or expanded primary care
- New publicly accessible open space
- New children’s play space
- New early years facilities
- Refreshed and new community hubs
- Transport improvements
- Flood mitigation measures
- Water capacity improvements
- Wastewater network improvements
- New Gypsy and Traveller pitches
- Protection for shopping centres
Madam Chairman, I make no apology for identifying these benefits of the Plan again. They are all important in their own right, but to have been able to include all of these in our tool kit has been a major success in the development of the new Plan. I challenge any member who is thinking of not supporting the adoption of the Plan to consider the disbenefit to our communities of turning down this package of measures and look forward to hearing unanimous support from Council members in the ensuing debate.
Thank you Madam Chairman
