Agenda item

Report of the Director of Place.

The Cabinet were presented with a report from the Director of Place, which sought approval for the Non-Statutory Interim Planning Policy Statement to be published for public consultation.

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Regeneration noted that:

• At the Cabinet meeting held on 4 February 2021 the Cabinet considered there was a need for guidance to clarify how the requirements of the Local Plan adopted in July 2020 could be met in relation to climate change as well as other planning policies, legislation and more recent technical evidence. The ‘Statement’ was an interim measure in advance of a new Local Plan (‘Plan Mid Devon’) due to be completed, and would be used to help inform the preparation of this new Local Plan.

• The ’Statement’ included a Climate Emergency – Planning Applications Checklist, which had been developed by planning officers and the Council’s Climate and Sustainability Specialist. The checklist was based on 6 principles and 19 objectives relevant to mitigating, and adapting to, climate change. Applicants were expected to have regard to the principles and objectives in their planning applications.

• The ‘Statement’ also introduces a ‘Net Zero Carbon Toolkit’ which had been funded through the Local Government Association Housing Advisers Programme.

• The third key part of the ‘Statement’ is a ‘Net Zero Housing Assessment Tool’. This had been developed by officers in association with the University of Exeter. The Net Zero Housing Assessment Tool could be used alongside the Net Zero Carbon Toolkit to evaluate the costs and benefits of a range of low carbon standards for new residential developments.

• The ’Statement’ would not have the status of a Supplementary Planning Document. However, it will be guidance and a resource that can help clarify how the requirements of existing development plan policies can be met in relation to climate change, which can assist the assessment of planning applications, and it underlines that tackling climate change is a material consideration.

The Leader thanked the Cabinet for their presentation and asked the Chief Executive to make a comment on the work done with the University of Exeter, to which the Chief Executive explained that work undertaken by the University of Exeter was more in relation to the Council’s own emissions and that this report considered how plans would be considered within the planning process.

A Cabinet Member welcomed this report and noted that this report played an important part in Mid Devon’s decarbonisation.

A Cabinet Member was positive about this report, but raised that this was not statutory and therefore there were no obligations for developers to follow this. Clarification was sought as to what the costs might be to uphold this. The Director of Place explained that the process was quite involved and expected that there might be a degree of pushback but climate change was relevant and this process would support deliberations at Planning Committee and for engagement to be promoted.

The Cabinet Member added that there was a cost to this and raised concern over public engagement and that there was a need for its use to be encouraged. An Officer explained that the consultation would highlight concerns raised and that adjustments could be made where necessary.

A Member had noted that this demanded extra work, it was a stepping stone and set the Council’s intentions as well as environmental expectations. In addition, they noted that other Councils already had environmental policy standards, whereas this Council had not.

A Member had raised concern that this process was not statutory and that some developers had not been as engaged with environmental frameworks because it was not policy and was concerned it would be ignored.

The Chief Executive explained that had not been a choice for the process to be statutory or non-statutory and that the current local plan had not contained the necessary content to make this process supplementary to the local plan which was why this process had been introduced.

RESOLVED:That

·        The draft Non-Statutory Interim Planning Policy Statement: Climate Emergency (Appendix 1), including the Net Zero Carbon Toolkit (Appendix 2) and the Net Zero Housing Assessment Tool (Appendix 3) be approved for public consultation.

·        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.

(Proposed by Cllr C Slade and seconded by Cllr A Moore)

Reason for Decision: The Non-Statutory Interim Planning Policy Statement plan will help meet the Corporate Plan priorities: ‘Homes’, ‘Environment’, ‘Community’ and ‘Economy’. The Non-Statutory Interim Planning Policy Statement will supplement relevant policies in the adopted Local Plan where these are relevant to adapting to, and mitigating the impacts of, climate change through development in Mid Devon, and it will draw from current good practice and relevant legislation and statutory provisions since the Local Plan was submitted to the Secretary of State in March 2017 and subject to its independent examination.