Local Plan Sub-Committee - 7 December 2022 (7pm)

NOTICE AND AGENDA

For a meeting to be held in the Penn Chamber, Three Rivers House, Northway, Rickmansworth on Wednesday 7 December 2022 at 7pm.

Members of the Local Plan Sub-Committee:

Councillors

Stephen Giles-Medhurst (Chair)

Matthew Bedford (Vice-Chair)

Stephen Cox

Rue Grewal

Philip Hearn

Sarah Nelmes

Reena Ranger

Jon Tankard

Phil Williams

Joanne Wagstaffe Chief Executive

29 November 2022

The Council welcomes contributions from members of the public to its discussion on Part I agenda items at Committee/sub-committee meetings.  Contributions will be limited to one person speaking for and one against each item for not more than three minutes. Please note that in the event of registering your interest to speak on an agenda item but not taking up that right because the item is deferred, you will automatically be given the right to speak on that item at the next meeting of the Committee.  Details of the procedure are provided below:

For those wishing to speak:

Members of the public are entitled to register and identify which item(s) they wish to speak on from the published agenda for the meeting.  Those who wish to register to speak are asked to register on the night of the meeting from 6.30pm.  The Council Constitution allows for one person to speak for an item and one person to speak against for up to 3 minutes.

Those wishing to observe the meeting are requested to arrive from 6.30pm.

In accordance with The Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014 any matters considered under Part 1 business only of the meeting may be filmed, recorded, photographed, broadcast or reported via social media by any person.

Recording and reporting the Council's meetings is subject to the law and it is the responsibility of those doing the recording and reporting to ensure compliance.  This will include the Human Rights Act, the Data Protection Act and the laws of libel and defamation. The meeting will not be broadcast/livestreamed but an audio recording of the meeting will be available afterwards.

1.  APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

To receive any apologies for absence.

2.  MINUTES

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the Local Plan Sub-Committee meetings held on 13 October 2022 and 9 November 2022.

22-10-13-lpsc-minutes-final

22-11-09-lpsc-minutes-part-i-1

3.  NOTICE OF OTHER BUSINESS

Items of other business notified under Council Procedure Rule 30 to be announced, together with the special circumstances that justify their consideration as a matter of urgency. The Chair to rule on the admission of such items.

4.  DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

To receive any declaration of interests

5.  LOCAL PLAN: CHANGES TO PREFERRED POLICY OPTIONS FOLLOWING REGULATION 18 CONSULTATION

• Design Criteria
• Advertisements
• Deliveries, Servicing and Construction
• Green and Blue Infrastructure
• Sustainable Transport

05-22-12-07-lpsc-part-1-updated-policies-following-r18-consultation-reportappendix-1-design-criteria-appendixappendix-2-representations-received-on-design-criteria-appendixappendix-3-advertisements-policyappendix-4-representations-received-on-advertisements-policyappendix-5-deliveries-servicing-and-construction-policyappendix-6-representations-received-on-deliveries-servicing-and-construction-policyappendix-7-green-blue-infrastructure-policyappendix-8-representations-received-on-green-and-blue-infrastructure-policyappendix-9-transport-and-connections-policyappendix-10-representations-received-on-sustainable-transport-and-travel-policy

6.  MOTION UNDER PROCEDURE RULE 11

Under Rule 11(5) of the Council Constitution it was agreed by the Chief Executive and Monitoring Officer in consultation with the Chair of Council that the following motion be referred to the Local Plan sub-committee.  The proposer and seconder of the motion will be invited to the meeting to present the motion under new Rule 11(11).

Councillor Ciaran Reed to move under notice given, seconded by Councillor Philip Hearn

This Council is deeply concerned about the affordability of homes in Three Rivers District and especially the impact it has on young people.

Councillors are deeply disappointed that the affordability ratio of new houses (average house price: average income) in Three Rivers is at 14:1, higher than both Watford and Dacorum.

This Council recognises the need to take urgent action to ensure that the affordability ratio is decreased whilst at the same time respecting the character and environment of our area, especially its Green Belt.

This Council acknowledges the impact this has on younger residents, with many of those who grew up in Three Rivers being forced out of the District.

This Council understands that census data may not be the best reflection of how the demography of Three Rivers works in certain age categories given how many university students are registered as living at their parents’ homes address for the purpose of that study, making using it to see the exodus of younger people from Three Rivers not a viable tool.

This Council believes that part of the problem for younger people trying to find places to live in Three Rivers is a lack of mobility in the local housing market, especially with older people not finding homes to downsize into within Three Rivers.

This Council is troubled by how the current situation is robbing our communities of their young people and our young people of their communities.

This Council therefore resolves to:

1. Create stricter and more heavily enforced mechanisms on the number of affordable homes built in developments.
2. Explore options to encourage the building of new bungalows and one/two bed terraced houses for both first time buyers and for older residents to downsize into.
3. Investigate whether local first-time buyers can be prioritised for affordable housing.
4. Look into options for ensuring that a good housing mix that contains one bed dwellings that are not only supplied through flats.
5. Consider how to protect the one bed houses within our District from being extended into large and more expensive properties.

7.  OTHER BUSINESS – If approved under item 3 above.

8.  EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC

If the Sub-Committee wishes to consider the items in private, it will be appropriate for a resolution to be passed in the following terms:- “that under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined under Paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A to the Act. It has been decided by the Council that in all the circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.”

(Note:  If other confidential business is approved under item 3, it will also be necessary to specify the class of exempt or confidential information in the additional items.)

1.  LOCAL PLAN: SITE AMENDMENTS AND PROPOSED REMOVALS

To receive a report.

2.  OTHER BUSINESS – If approved under item 3 above.

Any enquiries on the agenda please contact the Committee Team by email at Committeeteam@threerivers.gov.uk