To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Cllrs Derek Biddle, David Easton and Roger Yeates.

The minutes of the meeting held on 25 November 2010 were considered on 13 January 2011, but are attached for information.

There were no minutes to agree and sign.

The chairman to identify any items of urgent business.

The chairmen identified no items of urgent business.

To receive any declarations of interest in any matter to be discussed at the meeting.  Members and officers are requested to identify the nature of the interest and indicate whether it is personal or prejudicial.

Cllrs Molyneux and Riley declared a personal interest in item 5 as members of the Cabinet.

The committee to consider report PH.52 regarding representations relating to the strategy.

Cllr Lawton reminded members of the background to the review and asked members not to go over ground already covered. He thanked the Forward Plan Manager and other officers for getting the review to this point.

The Forward Plan Manager presented report PH.52, highlighting the recommendation at page 15, the schedule, which included recent submissions with officer responses and recommendations for action.

He explained annex A on page 63, which addressed the issue of housing density raised by members at the previous meeting. The figure of 30 dwellings per hectare would act as a yardstick, in the knowledge that there was no longer a minimum density, which was normally required to be achieved in the relevant national guidance.  This (Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3) had been amended in June 2010.

He reminded members that once agreed by Full Council there would be a six-week period for comments. The Strategy would then be submitted to the secretary of state along with those comments. It was likely that the process would lead to the Strategy being adopted early in 2012.

The committee agreed to consider the schedule at annex A to the report page by page and to resolve any amendments to the report recommendations.

Cllr Evans asked if there should not be reference to the council’s policy in relation to the erection of wind turbines within the Strategy.

The Group Manager for Planning and Housing explained that the Strategy was a principal document; once in place the Council would consider a raft of policies that would be evaluated against the Strategy, one of which would address matters including wind turbines.

Agenda page 23 – Cllr Grace Bensted commented that there was a link between housing and employment and that the figure should perhaps be in a policy document rather than the Strategy to enable greater flexibility in responding to the job market and transport needs for specific sites. She was concerned that the aspirational target would quickly be out of date.

The Forward Plan Manager replied that although the number appeared in the Strategy, the intention was to review it throughout the life of the document, taking into consideration such issues as employment.

Cllr Thomson commented that recently the Development Control Committee had dealt with applications for sites, which many years on from being identified in the Local Plan, members perhaps wished had not been allocated. He asked if now was an opportunity to address such areas.

The Forward Plan Manager answered that the Strategy looked afresh at inherited figures and used those as part of the calculation in reaching the figure of 6200. The conclusion of that consideration was a strategy that emphasised development in towns first. The Strategy would be reviewed as new evidence became available. The Group Manager for Planning and Housing added that there was a hierarchy of policies that set parameters. Under that came site allocations, some of which already had planning permission. The purpose of policy was to clearly set out where development was acceptable.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.