Agenda item

Local Plan: Authority Monitoring Report

Minutes:

Background:

 

This report sought authority to publish the Medway Local Plan Authority Monitoring Report that was produced annually.

 

The Monitoring Report consisted of three volumes:

  • Volume 1 (Appendix 1 to the report) provided an overview of key population and development trends, social, economic and environmental indicators, and a commentary on progress with the preparation of the new Medway Local Plan;
  • Volume 2 comprised detailed data tables that were summarised in Volume 1;
  • Volume 3 was the Local Aggregate Assessment, that assessed the supply of mineral aggregates from land won, imported and secondary and recycled sources in Medway in 2013. Volumes 2 and 3 were attached at Appendix 2 to the report.

 

A Housing Implementation Strategy was also presented (Appendix 3 to the report) to set out the position on the supply of housing land and actions being taken to boost the supply of housing.

 

Appendices 1-3 to the report were included in Supplementary Agenda No.1. A revised copy of the Housing Implementation Strategy had been circulated to Members within Supplementary Agenda No.2, which corrected a small number of errors since the publication of the Cabinet agenda.

 

It was noted that there were no direct equalities impacts of the approval of the Monitoring Report by Cabinet for publication. Members were advised that in preparing and approving local plan policies, the Council has had due regard to its equality duties under Section 149 Equality Act 2010.

 

The Cabinet considered Medway’s performance in delivering new homes and the pressures being placed on services and local infrastructure, which would require further investment should further developments come forward.

 

Decision number:

Decision:

 

The Cabinet noted paragraph 1.14 of the Medway Housing Implementation Strategy (Appendix 3 to the Cabinet report) and that in compliance with the National Planning Policy Framework it was obliged to review its housing needs and therefore increased its housing target from 815 to 1,000 dwellings per annum.

204/2014

The Cabinet approved the 2014 Authority Monitoring Report for publication, as set out in Appendices 1 and 2 in Supplementary Agenda No.1 and revised Appendix 3 in Supplementary Agenda No.2, subject to:

a)        Paragraph 1.14 of the Medway Housing Implementation Strategy (revised Appendix 3 to the Cabinet report) being amended to read:

Secondly, the Council has been obliged to review its housing needs and has therefore taken the decision to increase its housing target from 815 to 1000 dwellings per annum, back dated to the start of the new local plan period 2011/12. This is based on an assessment of projected household growth in Medway over the period of the new local plan up to 2035. Thus thereby demonstrating the authority’s commitment to significantly boost the supply of housing immediately.

 

b)        The bottom 3 lines of the table in paragraph 5.8 of the Housing Implementation Strategy (Appendix 3 to the Cabinet Report) being deleted.

 

c)        The Director of Regeneration, Community and Culture, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Strategic Development and Economic Growth, being delegated authority to approve any minor corrections to Appendices 1, 2 and 3 prior to publication that might improve clarity and consistency.

Reasons:

 

To comply with the legal duty to compile and publish a planning monitoring report. 

Supporting documents: