Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence

Councillors John Pughe Roberts (GC), John Brynmor Hughes (GC), Gareth Roberts (GC), Nicola Roberts (IACC), Richard Owain Jones (IACC) and Kenneth P. Hughes (IACC).

To receive any declaration of personal interest.

There were no declarations of personal interest.

To note any items that are a matter of urgency in the view of the Chairman for consideration.

No urgent items were received.

The Chairman shall propose that the minutes of the meeting of this committee held 25^th January 2019 be signed as a true record.

The minutes of the Committee held on 25 January 2019 were accepted as a true record.

To submit a report by Senior Planning Policy Officers, Joint Planning Policy Unit

i)          Supplementary Planning Guidance: Local Market Housing

Presentation by Rhodri Owen explaining the changes to the guidance since its introduction to the Joint Local Development Plan Panel on 25 January 2019 and asking the Committee to approve the proposed response to observations received during the public consultation period regarding the Supplementary Planning Guidance and to adopt the Guidance.

Matters raised:

•      A request was made for further clarity for the response to observation 7 in that there was no intention to restrict local market housing prices.

•      A question was raised whether competition for affordable housing would mean that their prices would increase.

•      With regards to the planning system in England, it was noted that a change had been made to enable more flexibility for changing the use of buildings to residential use in the countryside. The likelihood of this happening in Wales was questioned. Also, was it possible to press for this through legislation from Cardiff with an emphasis on local people having priority for such developments?

•      It was asked whether there was a problem with local areas in Policy TAI 5 if different areas were defined for affordable housing under Policies TAI 4 and TAI 6.

Response:

•      It was explained that local market housing did not correspond with the planning definition provided in TAN 2 for affordable housing and, therefore, the size of houses and the size of the market would manage the prices of these houses rather than a planning mechanism. An example could be given where two local individuals competed for a house which could mean that its value increased to be close to the value of an open market house.

•      As a specific mechanism had been set for affordable units, their value could not increase above the relevant discount level for specific units.

•      The process is different in Wales and it was not anticipated at present that there would be support in Wales for a process similar to the one in England as it was understood that the change in regulations caused difficulties as there was no control over the occupation of the houses that would be created, i.e. units not restricted as houses for local people and not prevented from being used as holiday homes / second homes. There is already a Policy in the Plan that enabled farm buildings to obtain planning permission to be converted into local need affordable housing (if it could be shown that that economic use is not practical). It was a matter for Councils if they wanted to press on Welsh Government to seek new legislation for this type of developments.

•      Local Market Housing areas had been defined in the Policy and, therefore, there was no problem with creating a different area in order to define the surrounding rural area in Policies TAI 4 and TAI 6.   

Decision -  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.