To receive an update from the Development Management Manager, MDDC.
Minutes:
John Hammond, Development Management Manager, MDDC gave a verbal update to the Committee and highlighted the following:-
· There would be a Public Inquiry starting on 20 May 2025 which would run for a period of 5 days and then would reconvene on the 3 June 2025 for 3 days.
· There was a timetable provided for public commentary to be submitted.
· A Case Management Conference would take place shortly where the Inspector holds a meeting with the two parties and sets out their provisional thoughts about a timetable for the Inquiry.
· It was suspected that the Inspector would want public representations to be made quite early on in the Inquiry.
· With regard to comments made in public questions that people would be expanding on submissions made in writing, it would be worth noting that the inspector would be running a quasi-judicial process as the Inspector would want to ensure that any new evidence raised in discussion that all parties would have an opportunity to comment on anything brought forward that was not in previous written submissions that might have been reviewed.
· The Inspector would be concerned that all parties to the appeal had a chance to comment. This could be during the second week that had been set aside. It could lead to requests for a deferral or adjournment for evidence to be presented. The Inspector would not be happy if they felt they had been blindsided by information and putting themselves or the decision as risk without giving all parties the chance to provide a counter position.
· There were 4 reasons given by MDDC for refusal:
(i) There was not a requirement for additional housing due to the 5 year housing supply.
(ii) Heritage assets.
(iii) Landscape character.
(iv) The lack of a legal agreement regarding public community infrastructure.
· The key issue that needed to be addressed would the first reason for refusal in light of the Government’s announcements at short notice of a new housing supply requirement for Mid Devon. The Council’s Local Plan would change from delivering 393 houses a year to now deliver a national requirement of 572 houses per year. That date would become effective in July 2025 when the Council’s current Local Plan would be out of date.
· MDDC would be presenting three witnesses, a Planning witness, a Heritage witness and a Landscape witness. Those points remained fully valid.
· There would now be a requirement for the Council to deliver an Action Plan to demonstrate how the additional housing would be delivered.
· The next steps were for Cabinet to look at the Local Development Scheme and the options to deliver a new Local Plan and the work to progress it. In April 2025, Cabinet would then look at those steps to deliver housing supply in the short term. This could then be used as proof of evidence to demonstrate measures which could be taken and to be put in place to deliver additional housing.
· A page would be created on the MDDC website so that all documentation would be in one location.
Mr Malcolm Trump commented that this development was to the south of the canal rather than in the north where the services were. From a practical point of view it could not be serviced and it would be more expensive with water, drainage and sewage requirements. This should not really be considered in that area without practical knowledge of service requirements.
John Hammond explained that it would be considered as the next site in line. It was a site that had previously been considered. There had been two applications on the site – this application did not include the totality of the contingency site, which meant it then concentrated the impact on probably the heritage assets to a greater extent.
Mr Philip Brind, Tiverton Canal Company expressed his disappointment with this application as the Horse Drawn Barge would be greatly affected. If the development were to proceed an application would have to be submitted to DCC to relocate the Horse Drawn Barge as it would be a trip through housing estates rather than fields.