Agenda and minutes

The minutes of the meeting held on 15 November 2017 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Members to declare interests in any agenda items

There were no declarations of interest received.

Report of the Strategic Director, Communities and Environment

The Committee considered a report that informed of progress of enforcement action which had previously been authorised by the Committee.

Report of the Strategic Director, Communities and Environment

The Committee considered a report that informed of new appeals against enforcement action received and which also updated on the decisions of the Planning Inspectorate since the last Committee.

RESOLVED -             That the information be noted.

Report of the Strategic Director, Communities and Environment

The Committee considered a report that informed of new appeals received and the decisions of the Secretary of State since the last Committee.

RESOLVED -             That the information be noted.

The Committee considered a report that provided an update on the completion of Planning Obligations which have previously been authorised.

RESOLVED    -           That the information be noted.

Report of the Strategic Director, Communities and Environment

The Committee were presented with a report to inform the Committee of the proposals for Brownfield Land Registers and Permission in Principle (PIP) and how they will apply in Gateshead.

The Council along with a number of other local authorities took part in a Government pilot scheme in 2016 to produce a Part 1 Brownfield Land Register.  The pilot register incorporated 57 sites, a high proportion of which were Council owned.  The pilot register has been published on the Council’s website.

Taking sites that have already been identified either through a planning application or allocation in either the Core Strategy and Urban Core Plan (CSUCP) and those proposed in Making Spaces for Growing Places (MSGP) a revised Brownfield Land Register this will be published on 21 December.  These sites have been discussed with appropriate ward members.

If a site is included on the Brownfield Land Register, the Town and Country Planning (Permission in Principle) Order 2017 (15^th April 2017) allows an “in principle” permission to be granted on sites and would form Part 2 of the register.  This means that these sites will be granted permission in principle for residential or residential-led development subject to the number and scale of development that the Council considers to be appropriate.  The combination of a PIP and a subsequent Technical Details Consent (TDC) means that the site as an implementable planning permission.  PIPs are intended to provide an alternative means of obtaining planning permission for housing development.

Once a PIP is granted the developer or landowner has 5 years (or alternative period as agreed with the LPA) to seek TDC, the approval of which will mean that the site has an implementable planning permission.

The timescales for an LPA to determine a TDC application are 5 weeks for minor development and 10 weeks for major development which is three weeks less than for standard planning applications.

Given the regulations for Brownfield Land Registers and PIPs, the Council will need to adopt a legal framework for decision-making, firstly as to whether a site is included on Part 2 and granted PIP and secondly to determine any subsequent TDC.

In terms of the final decision as to whether PIP Is granted, this would either be under delegated authority by the service director of Development, Transport and Public Protection or by the Planning and Development Committee, similar to the Council’s scheme of delegation for planning applications based on size of development and number of objections.  The scheme of delegation in the Council’s constitution is in the process of being amended to allow this.

For a subsequent TDC, it is recommended that an application for this would be made to the Development Management section and this would be considered in the same way as a planning application, albeit the principle of development and amount of housing would not be relevant considerations and the timescales for determination would differ.  The application would either be determined under delegated powers or by the Planning and Development Committee in accordance  ...  view the full minutes text for item PD185