Agenda item

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Environment and Transport which set out the proposals for the preparation of a Spatial Development Strategy and sought approval for the Council to share initial evidence work it has developed as the Local Transport Authority with the district councils and developers and to undertake initial scheme feasibility and development work.  A copy of the report marked ‘Agenda Item 8’ is filed with these minutes.

 

Comments had been received from Mr. P. King CC and Mrs. R. Page CC (local members for the Gartree and Lutterworth divisions respectively) and a written submission had also been received from Dr. H. Winand on behalf of “Stop the New Town” which welcomed the Council’s move towards long term strategic spatial planning but set out some concerns.  These were circulated separately, and a copy is attached to these minutes.

 

With the permission of the Chairman, Mr. P. King CC in his capacity as Local Member spoke in support of his comments.  He welcomed the acknowledgement in the report that there was no simple solution to the traffic issues on the A6 South Corridor, indicated his support for the more strategic approach being taken by the County Council but expressed concern that funding was not currently available to deliver a scheme.

 

Mr. H. Fowler CC agreed with the issues outlined by the Local Member.  He hoped that Local Government Reorganisation, and the devolution of transport powers to a Strategic Mayoral Authority, would provide the means for a viable solution to be delivered.

 

RESOLVED:

 

a)    That the Cabinet notes:

 

i       The current strategic spatial planning and strategic transport planning issues and the concerns raised by local communities about the traffic impacts of new development;

 

ii      That the Local Transport Authority (LTA) supports the principle of a Plan-led approach to development, and that should the LTA consider it cannot support a Local Plan

 

·      there will nonetheless continue to be a demand for new homes and jobs to meet the needs of Leicester and Leicestershire’s growing population, and

 

·      in the absence of an up-to-date Local Plan there will be a risk of greater levels of unplanned, speculative growth that will present even more challenges for the provision of infrastructure and services;

 

iii     That it is considered to be in the best overall interests of communities for the County Council to move towards a longer-term approach to strategic spatial and transport planning;

 

iv    That the success of the proposals set out in the report rests on successful collaborative working with the district councils and commitments to that way of working being demonstrated by the district councils through Local Plan policies and narratives as appropriate;

 

b)    That, accordingly, the following actions be undertaken as detailed in the report:

 

i       The preparation of a Spatial Development Strategy;

 

ii      Identification and development of schemes to alleviate the transport impacts of growth, based on initial evidence work undertaken to date;

 

iii     The sharing with the relevant authorities and developers of initial evidence work that has been undertaken by the LTA and, as it emerges, the outcomes of the further scheme identification and development work set out in b) ii above;

 

c)    That the Director of Environment and Transport be requested to explore any opportunities to streamline and align the strategic spatial and transport planning work in order to mitigate the traffic impacts of new development including new ways of working where appropriate.

 

REASONS FOR DECISION:

 

To respond to increasing concerns expressed by local communities, Members, and MPs about the traffic impacts of new developments that are faced across the Leicester and Leicestershire Housing Market Area.

 

A number of new Local Plans are being prepared by district councils in Leicestershire, and the LTA is finding it increasingly difficult to support them. Concerns raised by the County Council about emerging Local Plans in terms of service and infrastructure provision are often not properly addressed, due to pressure on the local planning authorities from the Government to expedite production of their Local Plans and deliver new housing.

 

Sharing initial evidence work and of the outcomes as they emerge of the proposed scheme identification and development work with district councils will give the LTA the best opportunity to have a constructive influence on the content of Local Plans and establish a sound basis for seeking developer contributions towards the delivery of transport schemes.

 

The LTA is engaged in confidential pre-application discussions relating to strategic-scale sites proposed to be allocated in the Local Plans and, by sharing evidence with developers, has the opportunity to have a positive/ constructive influence on those developments.

 

A broader, holistic consideration of strategic spatial planning and transport planning issues on a wider geographical basis is needed in order for the County Council, with limited resources, to address the necessary support for and mitigation of future growth.