The agenda report for this item is at pages 18 to 20 of the agenda papers for the Cabinet’s meeting on 9 May 2017 the two appendices are available to view online only although one hard copy of each has been placed in the Members Room at East Pallant House.
RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL
That the Council:
(1) Adopts the Joint Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Supplementary Planning Document (set out in appendix 1 to the agenda report) and
(2) Approves the proposed responses to representations received (set out in appendix 2 to the agenda report).
Minutes:
The Annual Council considered the recommendation to the Council made by the Cabinet at its meeting on Tuesday 9 May 2017 set out on the face of the agenda (copy attached to the official minutes), the details in respect of which were contained in pages 18 to 20 of the agenda report for that meeting and also in the two appendices which had published online only (although some hard copies were available for inspection at this meeting).
Mrs Taylor (the Cabinet Member for Planning Services) formally moved the recommendations of the Cabinet and this was seconded by Mr Dignum (Leader of the Council).
Mrs Taylor presented the report. She emphasised the immense importance and value of Chichester Harbour as one of Chichester District’s greatest assets. The protection and maintenance of the AONB (designated in 1964) was the responsibility of CDC, Havant Borough Council and the Chichester Harbour Conservancy. The AONB was the subject of specific policies in the two councils’ respective local plans: Policy 43 (Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)) in the Chichester Local Plan: Key Policies 2014-2029. Any future development should be guided by the four principles to protect, conserve and enhance natural beauty and wildlife set out in para 2.1 of the section 2 of the Joint Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Draft Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) in appendix 1. Section 3 of the report set out the timeline for the preparation of the more comprehensive SPD, which would replace and possess greater evidential weight than the 2007 Design Guidelines for new dwellings and extensions (Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Appendix 1 contained the SPD; appendix 2 set out the consultation representations received and CDC’s responses thereto. If adopted the SPD would be a material consideration in the determination of planning applications and appeals and section 4 of the report stated what outcomes its adoption would achieve.
Where required, responses were given by Mrs Taylor and Mr Carvell to questions and comments by members on points of detail. Matters covered included the effect of recreation and disturbance mitigation measures, the weight to be attached to the SPD and the post-consultation amendment made to para 13.1 of the draft SPD so that it now stated that where there was proposed a substantial increase in the development of a property ‘there should be no more than a 50% increase above the original footprint or a 25% increase above the existing silhouette (on any elevation visible from the wider landscape)’ [emphasis supplied] (page 121 in appendix 2 to the report).
Decision
At the end of the discussion the Annual Council voted with respect to the recommendations made by the Cabinet and on a show of hands it was unanimously in favour of making the resolutions set out below.
RESOLVED
(1) That the Joint Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Supplementary Planning Document (as set out in appendix 1 to the agenda report) be adopted.
(2) That the proposed responses to representations received (as set out in appendix 2 to the agenda report) be approved.