Agenda item

To submit a report by the Director of Place and Community Well-being.

Submitted – a report by the Director of Place and Community Well-being in respect of the Annual Monitoring Report 2019 – Joint Local Development Plan. 

The Portfolio Holder for Planning and Public Protection reported that the Annual Monitoring Report records the findings of work that monitors the implementation of a plan’s strategy and policies between 1 April and 31 March of the previous year.  Usually, the first annual monitoring report needs to be published by 31^st October in the year following adoption of the local development plan.  The Gwynedd and Anglesey Joint Local Development Plan was adopted at the end of July 2017.  Therefore, in order to include a complete financial year, this is the first opportunity to submit an Annual Monitoring Report to the Welsh Government. 

The Chief Planning Officer referred that the Annual Monitoring Report must include a monitoring framework which is a key feedback link within the cyclical process of drawing up sustainable policies.  The key findings of the Annual Monitoring Report as follows:-

·      55% of the housing units permitted during the Annual Monitoring Report period are within the Sub-regional Centre and Urban Services Centres.  23% of units have been permitted within the Local Service Centres with a further 22% permitted in Villages, Clusters and Open Countryside which is in line with the Plan’s housing distribution strategy;

·      543 new housing units received planning permission during the Annual Monitoring Report period i.e. sites that did not have permission on the day the Plan was adopted;

·      202 affordable houses were given planning permission during the Annual Monitoring Report period;

·      In the Annual Monitoring Report period (2017-2019), 348 housing units have been completed on sites allocated for housing;

·      254 affordable units were completed in 2017-19. Significant increase in the number of affordable housing units completed in 2018/19 (193 units) compared to previous years;

·      The Council has received 62 appeals during the Monitoring Period and 74% of these were dismissed.  The appeals that were allowed did not undermine the key policies of the Plan. 

The Officer noted that it is accepted that the conclusion of the Annual Monitoring Report is positive and that the planning policies are been implemented.   He said that given the key findings of this first Annual Monitoring Report there is no evidence that indicate that the Plan requires an early review.  

The Committee considered the report and raised the following matters:-

·           Questions raised as to the definition as regards to price of affordable dwellings. The Planning Policy Manager – Joint Planning Policy Unit responded that when consideration is given to pricing affordable dwellings (as part of new developments) a formula is used to gauge the salary percentage of residents within the area.  She noted that there is a Supplementary Planning Guidance which gives in depth details of affordable dwellings within different areas.  A S106 agreement is attached to any planning approval where appropriate that the dwellings must be kept as affordable dwellings.  Reference was made that some developers stipulate that development are not viable unless they are able to reduce the affordable dwelling proportion of the development.  The Chief Planning Officer responded that the requests to reduce the affordable element of any development are assessed and the evidence submitted alongside these requests are scrutinized;

·           Clarification was sought as to whether arrangements are in place to ensure that the Annual Monitoring Report is sufficiently robust and compliant with statutory regulations.  The Planning Policy Manager responded that Welsh Government sets out a statutory framework across Wales in respect of the Annual Monitoring Report and each Local Development Plan must adhere to the framework.  Members of the Committee considered that an ‘easier to read’ version of the document was necessary next year;

·           Reference was made that there was no mention of climate change within the Annual Monitoring Report.  The Director of Place and Community Well-being responded that the Monitoring Report has been set out in compliance with the statutory framework.  He noted that this Committee may request the Officers to include carbon emissions issues within the next Annual Monitoring Report.  He further noted that Officers within the Council are currently working on a de-carbonization and energy strategy for the Council which will decrease the carbon footprint and to make sure that this Authority plays a leading role for legislative de-carbonization target set out by the government for 2030 and 2050.

It was RESOLVED to recommend to the Executive:-

·           That the Annual Monitoring Report for 2019 lays a foundation for the remaining period of the Joint Local Development Plan;

·           To confirm that the Joint Local Development Plan is performing appropriately to date;

·           To note that no individual planning policy is failing to achieve its objective;

·           That Officers be invited to consider a way of providing a visual, easy read version of the next Annual Monitoring Report (for the period April 2019 to March 2020).

ACTION: As noted above.