Decision details

Upon the invitation of the Chair, the Planning Policy Team Leader presented the report which detailed the Arun Local Planning Authority’s Monitoring Report 2020/21. This was an annual rolling report that monitored progress on plan making in retrospect, looking at the period from 1 April 2020 to the 31 March 2021. Updates to the Local Plan, Neighbourhood Plans, the Duty to Cooperate, the Housing Land Supply and the Housing Delivery Test were highlighted to Members.

Members then took part in a full debate on the item where a number of points were raised including:

·       the number of unbuilt permissions, which may be Covid-related to some extent, showed the control developers had over the process

·       the housing land supply and its impact on greenfield sites in the District, and the need for development to have a biodiversity net gain in light of the climate emergency

·       whether the Council’s assessment of housing deliverability should be more vigorous and that it was much clearer what was deliverable and what was not

·       the economic uncertainty currently facing developers further complicating the situation

The recommendation was then proposed by Councillor Hughes and seconded by Councillor Elkins. By unanimous vote,

The Committee

RESOLVED

To agree the Authority Monitoring Report 2020/21 for publication on the Council’s website.