Agenda item

Ed Morgan and Lisa Chevallereau from the Council’s Planning Policy Team to discuss the Local Plan. Ed advised that the Local Plan is put in place the a period of 21 years. The Government sets the legislation in which Council’s are legally obliged to follow

A first consultation was completed in 2021 with the community and stakeholders for the first draft of the Plan with roughly 20 sites located for potential development. A second consultation was completed 2022 with landowners to locate further sites. In recent weeks, the latest consultation has taken place which ran for 6 weeks. The consultation did provisionally end last Wednesday (15 May) but has now been extended until the first week in June.

Following this, a second draft of the Local Plan is to be released, with a third draft in 2025. This will highlight the preferred options for development. Plans will be evidenced based using the Housing and Economic Needs Assessment, which provides what Oadby and Wigston’s housing need is. The formula also takes into consideration local need.

It has been identified that Oadby and Wigston will require 188 houses per year as a starting figure. In addition to this, the Council has a duty to cooperate with its neighbouring Councils. After the Planning Inspectorate examined Leicester City Council’s Local Plan, there was a declared unmet housing and employment need. As a result, this will be distributed to other Council’s. Oadby and Wigston have agreed to take a further 52 houses per year, making the total figure 240.

The Planning Policy Team will first be looking at urban areas and the Council has a policy to state that there should be no net loss on its car parks. The Council do have site options but these will be based on evidence with no decision having been made yet. A Transport Assessment will be completed Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland wide taking into consideration extra congestion with a further local assessment being completed with neighbouring Council’s.

Infrastructure will be reviewed, including GP surgery’s, schools, libraries etc with the Council working towards an Infrastructure and Delivery Plan. Meeting with partners will take place to discuss this such as Highways at Leicestershire County Council and the Integrated Care Board of the NHS. This will support decision making when allocating new sites as to what is needed from developers, included Section 106 money.

Ed also noted that the Council will try and protect green wedges, which separate town from town but is under pressure. They will also work with developers for better design quality and infrastructure.

Ed discussed flood risks which has been raised as part of the recent consultation and will be working with partners to discuss what the impact of this in sites may be. There were also objections to the Local Plan from the consultation, but Ed advised this legally has to be completed.

Ed advised that Oadby and Wigston is one of the smallest Borough’s in England with a dense population. 37 policies are included within the Local Plan and consideration are being discussed as to include what Oadby and Wigston needs are.

Cllr Bentley advised that the Local Plan protects certain areas for development and if one if not completed, the Council will have little say as to where sites are identified. Ed discussed that there is a monitoring report for completions where this will be reviewed throughout to then include certain infrastructures.

A resident raised concerns that she has noticed lots of houses are being built, but is not seeing the infrastructure being put in place, for example schools and GP surgeries. Ed advised that there will be certain trigger points when developers are building on sites for the Council to then request these be built.

A resident raises concerns with a house on Durnford Road being developed and questioned why this received planning permission. Cllr Boulter advised that the Council’s Planning Enforcement Team are investigating this. Cllr Bentley advised that as part of planning permission, they will have to reinstate the ground to as it was before. 

Section 106 money was discussed with a resident asking for it to be explained and who takes responsibility for this. Cllr Charlesworth advised this money is given to organisations such as education at Leicestershire County Council who then decide how to spend it. He raised concerns that this is rarely spent on GP surgeries and with developers wanting existing GP surgeries to be used which saves the company money. Smaller development sites do not necessarily require certain infrastructures to be built.

Lisa advised that the Council will request infrastructure based on the proportion of houses being built. The larger the development, the more the Council can request. Ed advised that the money is pooled with smaller development sites to then spend.

A recent planning application was raised for a site off Washbrook Lane in Oadby. Cllr Boulter advised that this planning application was refused.

A resident asked if the Council review existing buildings as part of the Local Plan. Ed advised that they consider all sites but not many existing sites, especially in the town centre have been brought forward for the Council to consider.