Agenda item

To seek Committee’s approval that the draft Direction of Travel Document be published for public consultation 25 March 2024 for six weeks closing 6 May 2024 in order to progress the update to the Arun Local Plan.

The Chair invited the Planning Policy and Conservation Manager to present the report to the Committee.  The report sought approval to publish the draft Direction of Travel Document (DoT) for public consultation between 25 March 2024 and 6 May 2024.  The public consultation would invite the public to provide their ideas for inclusion in the Arun Local Plan.  He referred to both the stakeholders workshops and the member workshops that had taken place to shape the DoT.

He advised that since the member workshops had taken place officers had received suggested changes to the wording of the DoT, details of which are provided below (indicated in bold and strikethrough): 

1.    Page 31, Section 5.2, Bullet Point 2: Accommodating the mitigating the impacts of any future A27 Arundel bypass scheme (currently delayed to 2025 – 2030 in National Highways’ Road Investment Strategy) which is expected to have a significant impact in Arun in terms of the landscape, biodiversity, and tranquillity

The above amendment to the DoT was proposed by Councillor McAuliffe and seconded by Councillor Tandy.

The Planning Policy and Conservation Manager confirmed that officers would tidy up the text to ensure there was no repetition.

Members then discussed the proposed amendment, in particular the economic benefits the A27 Arundel bypass scheme would bring to the District, and impacts on the District’s economy located south of the A27.    He confirmed that the DoT included reference to Arun’s economy and transport in other sections of the document.  It also addressed connectivity and the necessity for the A27 corridor to connect Arun with neighbouring local authorities for economic purposes and to enable travel around the District itself, in relation to connectivity and strategic movements, which included the area south of the A27 corridor.  The Chair advised that minor amendments could still be made to the document after this meeting. 

     The Planning Policy and Conservation Manager provided details of the remaining suggested amendments (set out below) he had received from members and sought comments from members.  Following which confirmation was sought from the above proposer and seconder as to whether they agreed to include these amendments.

2.    Page 21 Section 3.6 Bullet Point 1: “Reducing the need for over-reliance on cars and promoting sustainable forms of transport” 

A member commented that repetition in the DoT referencing other areas of the document could be useful when reading only parts of the document. Another member commented that, if this was the case, there should be a consistency of wording throughout the document.

3.    Page 21 Section 3.6 Bullet Point 2: “Ensuring neighbourhoods havethe option to access to all they need, easily within 20- minutes via walking, cycling and public transport” 

4.    Page 21 Section 3.6 Bullet Point 4: “Ensuring people, especially those with an existing connection to Arun,can access quality housing that they can afford which meets their needs flexibly through their lifetime” 

5.    Page 41 Section 6.13 Bullet Point 9: Delivering an ambitious affordable housing target including for rent, shared ownership and First Homes quota for the Local Plan Update that is deliverable and viable including throughcouncil and social housing, rural exception sites and community-led housing (e.g. community land trusts or initiatives through Neighbourhood Plan policies such as low-cost housing/affordable rent reflecting local incomes)

6.    Page 42 Section 6.13 Bullet Point 1: Considering policy options for increasing the choice of homes for different needs (e.g. retirement housing, build-to-rent, affordable ownership, self and custom-build, council and social housing) to encourage the smaller specialist housing providers across Arun’s coastal towns and rural settlements to enable more of Arun’s population and households to access the local housing market 

Discussion took place surrounding  Arun’s job density ratio, the number of people of retirement age living in the District, reference in the document to reduced travel and transport and the link to 20-minute neighbourhoods, affordable housing, building upwards, inclusion of social housing, flooding including the use of large ponds, lakes and reservoirs as solutions, infrastructure concerning both broadband availability and drainage issues, leisure in relation to water sports, additional types of culture such as music production, development encroaching outside of the built-up area, parish council engagement and hospital provision.

During the discussion the Group Head of Planning informed members that the DoT set out a range of potential options and issues that the Council needed to deal with when preparing the Arun Local Plan.  Members have had the document before them on a number of occasions where they have had the opportunity to make comments.  It was important that members did not get into too much of the detail contained in the DoT as the point of the document was to carry out consultation to obtain public and stakeholder comments.  It was explained that any decision made today did not prohibit the Council from making any changes during the Local Plan process.

Councillor McAuliffe and Councillor Tandy then, having proposed and seconded respectively the first amendment to the DoT put before the Committee confirmed they were in agreement to the inclusion of all the amendments above (six in total) that had been put to the Committee in their proposal.

The Chair then moved to the vote on the amendment below, where it was declared CARRIED.

1.    Page 31, Section 5.2, Bullet Point 2: Accommodating the mitigating the impacts of any future A27 Arundel bypass scheme (currently delayed to 2025 – 2030 in National Highways’ Road Investment Strategy) which is expected to have a significant impact in Arun in terms of the landscape, biodiversity, and tranquillity

2.    Page 21 Section 3.6 Bullet Point 1: “Reducing the need for over-reliance on cars and promoting sustainable forms of transport

3.    Page 21 Section 3.6 Bullet Point 2: “Ensuring neighbourhoods havethe option to access to all they need, easily within 20- minutes via walking, cycling and public transport” 

4.    Page 21 Section 3.6 Bullet Point 4: “Ensuring people, especially those with an existing connection to Arun,can access quality housing that they can afford which meets their needs flexibly through their lifetime” 

5.    Page 41 Section 6.13 Bullet Point 9: Delivering an ambitious affordable housing target including for rent, shared ownership and First Homes quota for the Local Plan Update that is deliverable and viable including throughcouncil and social housing, rural exception sites and community-led housing (e.g. community land trusts or initiatives through Neighbourhood Plan policies such as low-cost housing/affordable rent reflecting local incomes)

6.    Page 42 Section 6.13 Bullet Point 1: Considering policy options for increasing the choice of homes for different needs (e.g. retirement housing, build-to-rent, affordable ownership, self and custom-build, council and social housing) to encourage the smaller specialist housing providers across Arun’s coastal towns and rural settlements to enable more of Arun’s population and households to access the local housing market. 

The substantive recommendations were then proposed by Councillor McAuliffe and seconded by Councillor Tandy.

The Committee

          RESOLVED that

1)    the Direction of Travel Document, as amended above, be published with a regulation 18 Notice and a newspaper article release, for a 6-week public consultation commencing on 25 March and closing on 6 May 2024;

2)    delegated authority be given to the Group Head of Planning in consultation with the Chair and Vice Chair of Planning Policy Committee, to refine the Direction of Travel Documents for publication 

The Chair expressed his thanks to the Committee for their contributions to the DoT during the meeting.

A request was made to the Chair asking him to encourage the parish councils in the District to participate in the DoT consultation.