Agenda and minutes

Venue: QEII Room, Shoreham Centre, Shoreham-by-Sea

Contact: Heather Kingston
Democratic Services Officer
01903 221006  Email: heather.kingston@adur-worthing.gov.uk

Note: There will be limited public access to the meeting. Admission is by prior arrangement only, bookable via democratic.services@adur-worthing.gov.uk. The meeting will also be available to watch live via the media link below. 

Items
No. Item

ADC-PC/31/21-22

Substitute Members

Any substitute members should declare their substitution.

Minutes:

There were no substitute Members present.

ADC-PC/32/21-22

Declarations of Interest

Members and Officers must declare any disclosable pecuniary interests in relation to any business on the agenda.  Declarations should also be made at any stage such an interest becomes apparent during the meeting.

 

If in doubt contact the Legal or Democratic Services representative for this meeting.

 

Members and Officers may seek advice upon any relevant interest from the Monitoring Officer prior to the meeting.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

 

ADC-PC/33/21-22

Public Question Time

So as to provide the best opportunity for the Committee to provide the public with the fullest answer, questions from the public should be submitted by midday on Thursday 2 September 2021.

 

Where relevant notice of a question has not been given, the person presiding may either choose to give a response at the meeting or respond by undertaking to provide a written response within three working days.

 

Questions should be submitted to Democratic Services –

democratic.services@adur-worthing.gov.uk

 

(Note:  Public Question Time will last for a maximum of 30 minutes)

Minutes:

A public question was raised by Barbara O'Kelly on behalf of Adur Residents Environmental Action (AREA) as follows:

 

 

One of the objectives of the Good Practice Houseboat Guide is to protect and improve the water quality of the River Adur. This is reinforced by Policy 35 of the Local Plan relating to water quality and adequate sewage treatment facilities.

We understand i.e AREA, that testing of the river’s pollution levels has been stopped. That means we no longer know whether levels of bacteria, such as e-coli are.  So, what plans do Adur Council, Southern Water and the Environment Agency (2.9 of the Good Practice Guide) have for restarting the testing program, meeting to find a practical solution to improve and oversee the pollution levels and finding a viable solution to the issue of the disposal of raw sewage from the houseboats? Given the increased use of the river for water sports this is surely a health issue.

 

Response at meeting:

The Planning Services Manager confirmed that with regard to testing, Environmental Health had advised that sampling had been suspended between April - August 2020, November 2020 and January to April 2021  (10 months in total). Monthly sampling had resumed in May 2021, and sampling results were now published on the Council website as and when they were received.

 

https://www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/environmental-health/pollution/water-quality/river-adur/

 

The Officer advised that from a planning perspective, any application received in connection with a houseboat would be assessed against the Policy in the Local Plan, and clearly, if Officers also had sampling results these would assist in consideration of the application. 

 

He referred to the Good Practice Houseboat Guide and advised that few  applications received necessitated planning permission and therefore, without a planning application, Officers were unable to impose restrictions.  However, they  would take the opportunity to point applicants and residents in the direction of the Guide and try to encourage its use.  Beyond that, as a Committee, they could only react to a planning application when received and use policies against it.

 

Ms Barbara O’Kelly asked a supplementary question as follows:

 

When you referred to a planning application did you mean for another houseboat or an additional houseboat on another site?

 

The Officer responded yes, and referred specifically to one received for a replacement houseboat.  With regard to the scale and design of the houseboat he advised it was a relatively simple planning application, but in terms of consulting with Natural England and the Environment Agency, it had become more complicated.  He reiterated that when this type of application was received, Officers always alerted applicants to the policy provisions, and the Houseboat Guide.

ADC-PC/34/21-22

Confirmation of Minutes

To approve the minutes of the Planning Committee meetings of the Committee held on Monday 9 August 2021, which have been emailed to Members.

Minutes:

RESOLVED, that the minutes of the Planning Committee meeting held on 9 August 2021 be confirmed as a correct record and that they be signed by the Chairman.

ADC-PC/35/21-22

Items Raised Under Urgency Provisions

To consider any items the Chair of the meeting considers urgent.

Minutes:

 

There were no items raised under urgency provisions.

ADC-PC/36/21-22

Planning Applications pdf icon PDF 370 KB

To consider the reports by the Director for the Economy, attached as Item 6.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The planning applications were considered, see attached appendix.

ADC-PC/37/21-22

Planning Appeals

None to report.

Minutes:

There were none to report.

ADC-PC/38/21-22

Proposed Update of the Adur Local Plan pdf icon PDF 136 KB

To consider a report by the Director for the Economy, copy attached as item 8

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

The Adur Planning Policy Manager introduced the report and reminded Members that the Adur Local Plan was adopted in 2017 and contained a commitment to a review within 5 years.  The Government had also set a new target for all Local Planning Authorities to have new Plans in place towards the end of 2023/early 2024. 

 

The Officer advised that since adopting the Adur Local Plan there had been many changes, which included the revised National Planning Policy Framework in 2019, with further revisions made in July 2021; the permitted development regime; social changes in town centres, particularly retail areas; and climate change. 

 

Members were advised the current Local Plan covered a period up to 2032, with the updated version up to at least 2038.

 

The Officer advised one of the key issues to address had been housing needs and there had been changes since adopting the Local Plan in 2017.  The Government had introduced a new Standard Methodology and set a population based housing target of 248 per year (compared to the current delivery target of  177 dwellings per annum).  Given the constraints it was therefore necessary to look very rigorously at all opportunities and develop a capacity based target which, given constraints, may be lower.

 

The Officer concluded her presentation by advising Members the team would be looking at commissioning evidence relating to various issues, particularly regarding transport, infrastructure needs and viability.  She also referred to the proposed key milestones for the update of the Adur Local Plan and the Local Development document appended to the report.

 

A Councillor made a comment for the Executive Member for Regeneration to continue lobbying the MP and the Department for Housing and Communities for a genuine local strategy for Adur, it being located in a constrained area between the coast and the South Downs National Park.  Another Councillor agreed it was important to have a coherent plan that worked for Adur, supporting the character, as well as bringing new houses to the area.  He also referred to the importance of the Adur & Worthing Joint Statement of Community Involvement and consideration of the need to update it.

 

Decision

 

The Planning Committee considered the principle of updating the Adur Local Plan 2017; the Local Development Scheme attached at Appendix 1; and agreed to forward any comments to the Executive Member for Regeneration.