Agenda item

 “Regarding the Local Green Space assessment being carried out as part of the Local Plan process, I understand that the current 71 Protected Urban Open Space (PUOS) sites will go forward for assessment (together with any others suggested in response to Q5 of the Issues & Options consultation in June 2018).

As part of the Call for Green Spaces and given the importance of Open Space identified in the Council's own Open Space Assessment (Nov 2019), will the Council themselves be proposing some or all of the sites with the outgoing Protected Urban Open Space designation for the new Local Green Space designation OR perhaps certain 'functional' categories (such as allotments, cemeteries and churchyards, school playing fields and public parks and recreation grounds), regardless of ownership status? This would hopefully ensure that current levels of provision are at least maintained.

Failing that, and to give many valuable sites the best chance of success, please could the Council make the 'long list' of potential LGS sites public once the Stage 1 "Desktop review and first sieve" has been completed with the opportunity for the community to provide any further evidence required to successfully complete the Stage 2 "Detailed Analysis"? This would again help to ensure that communities don't inadvertently lose out.”

Response from Councillor Ian Beardsmore, Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Committee

“This matter will be discussed further when we get to the motions to Council, but I can advise that all Protected Urban Open Spaces (PUOS) will be considered for the designation of Local Green Space (LGS). Each space will be reviewed against the guiding principles within the Local Green Space Assessment methodology.  This is regardless of whether each PUOS was submitted by members of the public.

Through the Call for Green Spaces, we provided the opportunity for those wishing to nominate particular spaces to submit evidence and information which could support this nomination. If any further information is required to help inform the decision-making process in respect of specific spaces, then the Council will contact the nominators to ask if they can supply any additional evidence that may be of use. The proposed list of designations will then be considered by the Local Plan Task Group, which comprises a councillor from every ward in the Borough. Once agreement has been reached as to which spaces will be designated, we will publish the full list of spaces that were assessed, including those put forward by the public, and give reasons why they are proposed for designation or discounted. There are likely to be varied reasons why a space has not been considered suitable and did not meet the assessment criteria, but we will explain those reasons and what other protections are in place, such as playing pitch legislation, Green Belt designation or the operational requirements of a statutory undertaker.  It is important to note that Government policy affords protection to all open spaces without the need for formal designation through Local Plans.”

2.Question from Kath Sanders

 He also answered questions from MPs on planning rules on 25th October 2021 where he said that he was still considering all the responses to the consultation on the “Planning for the future” White Paper and would make an announcement on next steps in due course. I understand this will be before Christmas.

 Michael Gove also stated, "As we take forward our proposals for planning reform, we will be balancing the need for new housing with environmental concerns and also the vital importance of listening to local people."

Given Michael Gove's answers, what further work is now being done internally to either take stock or to build a case for a reduction in the housing target in Local Plan proposals to reduce the imperative to build on Green Belt and to build blocks of tiny flats in Staines?”

Response from Councillor Ian Beardsmore, Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Committee

“Ministers can make statements and promises, but unless they are supported by a tangible change in policy guidance it is unwise to base a Local Plan on them. Indeed over the years there have been so many such announcements, you could paper the walls with them. Unfortunately none has ever come close to being given enough status to stand up to a public inquiry. That is why our aim has been to have the standard method for calculating housing need amended by the Government rather than taking forward a Plan that does not meet our need, as every authority that has attempted to do so since the methodology was introduced has failed. We have written to the Ministry ourselves, met with its officers and sought the help of our MP in order to try and get the standard method changed to reflect more recent lower projections of household growth, but these efforts have not yet been fruitful. We know that there will be a new white paper on planning reform, which will follow a Levelling Up paper, but the latter has now been pushed into next year, April we believe, so the planning reform paper will be delayed even further. Delay has been the enemy of our Local Plan as we have seen developments allowed on Green Belt in our borough using the fact that we are not meeting our housing as a reason. Indeed even now we are facing another predatory attack on our Green Belt using this same reason. We are trying to resist inappropriate high-rise buildings near the river in Staines, without having the Staines Development Framework in place that could have provided a policy basis to say no. Our best defence against predatory development is to have a Local Plan and framework for Staines in place that meets our need and therefore allows us to make the decisions on what is built where. That means a very small loss of Green Belt, which we know is a difficult concept, but we have selected small sites that do not meet the purposes of Green Belt and can deliver wider community benefits, whilst some have already been built on. We are working incredibly hard with officers to accelerate progress and get our plans in place as soon as we can, as evidenced by having had over 40 task group meetings since last summer. We believe this work will result in a sound Local Plan when we get to examination that the inspector will recommend be adopted. If there is a tangible change on Government policy and guidance before adoption, which is not expected before Summer 2023, we will have time to adjust our plans accordingly.”