northlincs.gov.uk

PRESENT: – Councillor Wardle in the chair.

Councillors Long (vice-chairman), Bunyan, Collinson, Delaney, England, Glover, Grant, Phillips, Rowson and Whiteley.

The committee met at Pittwood House, Scunthorpe.

896 DECLARATIONS OF PERSONAL OR PERSONAL AND PREJUDICIAL INTERESTS – There were no declarations of interest.

897 STRATEGIC FLOOD RISK ASSESSMENT – FAMILIARISATION PRESENTATION – Richard Young of RYE attended the meeting to give a presentation on the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA).

The SFRA had been approved by the Planning (Policy) Committee on 3 November 2006 (minute 857 refers). The document had taken four years to collate and was part funded by Yorkshire Forward.

Pictures of flooding were shown in the presentation, depicting areas like New Orleans, Boscastle, and the East coast in 1953, showing the impact on homes, businesses and communities.

Mr Young explained the different types of flooding which could affect the area from both rivers and the sea.

Councillors asked that if an application was refused by the planning committee on flood risk grounds, was an appeal to the government likely to be successful. Richard Young stated that this should be less likely in the future in the light of Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 25.

Three types of flood zone in the SFRA were defined, Zone 1 low risk, Zone 2 medium risk and Zone 3 high risk which was split into, 3(i) low vulnerability 3(ii) high vulnerability and 3(iii) being a functional flood plain. A matrix was shown setting out the types of development and recommended action to be taken for different types of development in the different areas flood zones. The matrix would allow officers to apply a sequential test and give standard responses to developers for minor developments or refer the applications directly to the Environment Agency for significant developments. There would be significant implications for developers, who would need to undertake detailed Flood Risk Assessments and provide details of any mitigation required.

Maps were shown indicating the potentially affected areas of North Lincolnshire – Eastern coastal area, Ancholme and Trent, and which type of zone each was categorised as.

An updated Strategic Floodrisk Assessment was due in the Autumn.

Resolved – (a) That Richard Young be thanked for his presentation, and (b) that the information presented, be noted.

898 (72) LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK – LOCAL DEVELOPMENT SCHEME – The Head of Planning and Regeneration submitted a report seeking approval to revise and update the Local Development Scheme for the Local Development Framework (LDF).

The Local Development Scheme (LDS), which set out the timetable for the preparation of Local Development Documents (LDD), took effect from 8 May 2006. The LDS has to be updated annually and submitted to Government Office before the end of March.

The timetable for the preparation of documents, notably the Core Strategy, had been extended to ensure that the large number of representations received to the Preferred Options for the Core Strategy (5000) were properly addressed, to ensure that the policies contained in the emerging Regional Spatial Strategy were taken fully into account. There was also a review of regional waste information which would have implications for the Waste DPD timetable.

In addition there had been further lessons learned from core strategies which had gone through the examination process, in that some had been found to be unsound, leading some authorities to delay or even suspend their LDF work.

The LDS timetable was appended to the report, and had been revised to take account of the above. The Core Strategy Submission date was now programmed for February 2008. Despite this revision in the timetable, North Lincolnshire would still be one of the lead authorities in the region.

Resolved – That the Local Development Scheme for 2007 be approved for submission to the Secretary of State, the document to take effect from 8 May 2007.

899 (73) LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK CORE STRATEGY DRAFT APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT – The Head of Planning and Regeneration submitted a report informing members of the result of the Draft Appropriate Assessment into the North Lincolnshire Local Development (LDF) Core Strategy Preferred Options.

In 2005 the European Court of Justice ruled that Appropriate Assessments (AAs) might be required for land use development plans, including Local Development Documents (LDDs) where they impacted on Natura 2000 sites.

Atkins Ltd undertook an Appropriate Assessment of the Core Strategy Preferred Options on the Natura 2000 sites in North Lincolnshire that could be affected directly or indirectly by policies in the strategy.

The Draft Appropriate Assessment of the Core Strategy Preferred Options was now complete and out for consultation. The Assessment set out the projected impacts of those policies as having potential to harm the integrity of the designated sites. Where the policies left potential for there to be significant impact on the Natura 2000 sites, advice had been given for the amendment of the policies. Five issues were identified by the Appropriate Assessment as requiring particular consideration:

• Development of South Humber Bank;
• Expansion of settlements;
• Wind farms;
• Flood defence;
• Extraction of minerals.

Recommendations for policy changes had been made to enable the Core Strategy to be modified to minimise the long term impacts at a strategic level. The Appropriate Assessment and proposed changes were summarised and appended to the report.

Resolved – That the findings of the Appropriate Assessment be used to inform the preparation of the Core Strategy Submission document.