Issue - meetings

To consider a report from the Director of Place.

The Cabinet received a report* which sought approval for the draft Mid Devon

Meeting Housing Needs Supplementary Planning Document for Public Consultation, with the following highlighted:

·       This report related to the adopted local plan.

·       Included a broader scope of guidance when compared to the previous version.

·       This document would need to be published for a 6 week public consultation.

·       The adopted local plan had not considered today’s housing needs within Mid Devon.

·       There was a need for the availability of social and affordable rented housing to be improved.

·       There was a need for a wider range of house sizes, particularly housing for families.

The following was discussed:

• Whether the target for affordable housing could be met. The Director of Place explained that the nature of the planning process had meant that changes to the quantity of housing delivered could change over the course of the application’s lifetime.

RESOLVED:

1.     The draft Mid Devon Meeting Housing Needs Supplementary Planning Document (Appendix 1 to this report), the Strategic Environmental Assessment Screening Report (Appendix 2 to this report) and the Habitat Regulations Assessment Screening Report (Appendix 3 to this report) be approved for public consultation.

2.     That delegated authority be given to the Director of Place in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Regeneration to finalise the material and arrangements for consultation.

3.     That officers consider the options available to Mid Devon to enable the authority to achieve significant improvements in housing mix for the District as set out within Table 1 (page 6) of the SPD document and as established through the Local Housing Needs Assessment, with particular emphasis on improving the availability of social and affordable rented accommodation and of lower cost family housing. While noting that further work on housing mix will be undertaken through the development of our new Local Plan; Plan Mid-Devon. Cabinet requests that the Director of Place reports to Cabinet on the outcome of this work by October 2023.

(Proposed by Cllr G Barnell and seconded by Cllr A Wilce)

Reason for Decision: As stated in the report

Note: *report previously circulated and attached to the minutes