Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Colin Cross, Andrew Gomm, Angela Goodwin, Christian Holliday, and Gordon Jackson, from Honorary Freeman Jen Powell and from Honorary Aldermen Mrs C F Cobley, Mrs C F P Griffin, Mrs M Lloyd-Jones, J Marks, and L Strudwick.

To receive and note any disclosable pecuniary interests from councillors. In accordance with the local Code of Conduct, a councillor is required to disclose at the meeting any disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI) that they may have in respect of any matter for consideration on this agenda.  Any councillor with a DPI must not participate in any discussion or vote regarding that matter and they must also withdraw from the meeting immediately before consideration of the matter.

If that DPI has not been registered, the councillor must notify the Monitoring Officer of the details of the DPI within 28 days of the date of the meeting.

There were no disclosures of interest.

To receive any communications or announcements from the Mayor.

Honorary Alderman Mary Lloyd-Jones

The Mayor reported that Honorary Alderman Mary Lloyd-Jones had been unwell and that, on behalf of the Council, he had sent her some flowers and best wishes.

Mayor’s charitable fund raising 

The Mayor thanked everyone who had supported his fund raising efforts so far this year and drew councillors’ attention to forthcoming events including The Wine Tasting event at the Guildhall on 30 November 2017.

British Heart Foundation

The Mayor invited councillors to register for the British Heart Foundation ‘Guildford Santa Jog’ at Stoke Park on Saturday 2 December 2017. 

To receive any communications or announcements from the Leader of the Council.

There were no communications from the Leader of the Council.

To receive questions or statements from the public in relation only to the business for which this extraordinary meeting has been called.

Statements

The following persons addressed the Council meeting in respect of Minute No. CO64 – Proposed Submission Local Plan:

(1)       Lisa Wright

(2)       Ramsey Nagaty

(3)       Peter Shaw

(4)       Diana Elliot on behalf of Save the Hogs Back campaign

(5)       Peter Elliot on behalf of Save the Hogs Back campaign

(6)       Mike Murray, (Causeway Land, on behalf of Wisley Property Investments)

The Leader of the Council responded to the statements.

To hear questions (if any) from councillors of which due notice has been given in relation only to the business for which this extraordinary meeting has been called.

(a)        Councillor Colin Cross asked the Leader of the Council and Lead Councillor for Planning and Regeneration, Councillor Paul Spooner, the following question:

“There is an overwhelming and ever-increasing weight of evidence to the effect that submitting the current Draft Local Plan, with the inclusion of the Former Wisley Airfield Site (A35), for public examination would be unsound and would lead to its rejection. There are manifold unresolved issues regarding this site which include its unsustainability, A3/M25 highways matters, Greenbelt considerations and its overall undeliverability. 

Given that it is the role of this Council to act with the utmost responsibility in all such strategically important actions affecting the long term future of Guildford Borough, does the Leader of the Council agree that the Council should take the necessary action to heed the advice received and therefore act to remove site A35 from the Draft Local Plan so as to ensure its progress?”

The Leader of the Council’s response was as follows:

“Whilst I can understand concerns being raised by those opposed to the scheme given views expressed by contributors at the recent Wisley planning appeal, I do not accept that there is an increasing weight of evidence either to remove the Former Wisley Airfield site from the submission plan or that the plan will be found unsound if included.  Highways England agree that the proposed new slip roads at Burnt Common is a modification to an existing junction. 

On this basis, Highways England does not object in principle to the new slip roads.  Nevertheless, they must be provided safely and with a demonstrable benefit to the economy. Highways England’s objection at the Wisley Appeal was technical in nature and related to the fact that at the time of the Appeal’s closure, insufficient technical information had been provided to them to enable them to assess whether the mitigation was technically feasible, and therefore they could not advise whether it mitigated the traffic impact on the strategic road network.  

There has been considerable progress since the Inquiry in relation to the technical approval process.  This information was not available to the Inspector.  The appeal was in relation to a specific planning application not the soundness of a local plan.  Clearly the Council did not support that specific planning application as submitted but for the local plan process the considerations are different.  The Inquiry was considering the planning application and if very special circumstances exist to justify allowing  this development in the green belt. The Local Plan will assess if exceptional circumstances exist to justify taking this site out of the green belt.  They are very different tests and we remain confident that exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated. With the appropriate highway mitigation, improvements to public transport, delivery of a primary and secondary school, a local centre for shops and some small scale employment, the site is considered to be sustainable.

In terms of the Council acting responsibly, then submitting this plan is the most prudent course of action.  Removing the  ...  view the full minutes text for item CO63

Appendices 1 and 2 to this report are very large files.  Smaller files, which will be quicker to download, are available on the Local Plan web page: http://www.guildford.gov.uk/newlocalplan/submission

The Council considered the Proposed Submission Local Plan: strategy and sites (“the draft Local Plan”) which outlined the spatial development strategy for the borough up to 2034. The draft Local Plan had set out the quantum and location of development based on an evaluation of objectively assessed need (OAN) for new homes, employment and retail space and an assessment of whether this quantum of development could be provided in a sustainable way following consideration of other policy constraints.  The conclusion reached was that appropriate sustainable sites could be allocated within the plan to meet the OAN for both housing and employment.

The draft Local Plan was also concerned with the protection and enhancement of our environment, the provision of appropriate infrastructure to support the planned growth of the borough and the promotion of sustainable transport.

The draft Local Plan contained minor corrections and suggested minor amendments as tracked changes which, if approved by the Council, would be put before the Inspector for consideration at the forthcoming Examination.

Subject to the Council’s approval, it was proposed to submit the plan to the Secretary of State by 15 December 2017.

Councillors noted that, at its special meeting held on 20 November 2017, the Executive had considered the proposed Submission Local Plan and had endorsed the recommendation in the report submitted to the Council.  A copy of the draft minutes of that special meeting was attached to the Order Paper for this Council meeting.

Prior to the debate on this matter, and upon the motion of The Mayor, Councillor Nigel Manning seconded by the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Mike Parsons, the Council

RESOLVED: That recorded votes would be taken in respect of both the amendment and the final vote on either the original, or substantive, motion.

The Leader of the Council, and Lead Councillor for Planning and Regeneration, Councillor Paul Spooner, proposed and the Deputy Leader of the Council, and Lead Councillor for Infrastructure and Governance, Councillor Matt Furniss, seconded the following motion:

“(1) That the draft Local Plan: strategy and sites document, together with all relevant associated documentation referred to in Appendix 4 to the report submitted to the Council, be approved for submission to the Secretary of State for the purpose of proceeding to and through the Examination in Public process.

(2)  That the Director of Planning and Regeneration be authorised, in consultation with the Lead Councillor for Planning and Regeneration, to make such minor alterations to improve the submission documents as she may deem necessary. 

Reasons:

·        The draft Local Plan provides a coherent approach to meeting future development needs and allocates sites to accommodate sustainable development in the borough up to 2034. The document is considered to be positively prepared, justified, effective and consistent with national policy.

·        The recommendations above will enable an Inspector to test the plan in terms of its legal compliance and ‘soundness’ to enable the Council to move a step closer to adopting an up-to-date Local Plan.”

Following the debate on the motion, Councillor Susan Parker  ...  view the full minutes text for item CO64

To order the Common Seal to be affixed to any document to give effect to any decision taken by the Council at this meeting.

The Council

RESOLVED: That the Common Seal of the Council be affixed to any documents to give effect to any decisions taken by the Council at this meeting.