Archived decisions
At a Special Meeting of Hampshire County Council held at The Castle, Winchester on Thursday, 28 October, 2004 at 10.00 a.m.
Chairman :
p Councillor J.V. Bryant
Vice-Chairman:
p Councillor J.K. West
Councillors:
p Mrs S.E. Allbright
p D.G. Allen
p Mrs A.E. Bailey
Mrs. E.S.M. Barron
p Mrs P.G. Banks
p R. J. Baulk
p I.F.E. Beagley
p Carol Boulton
p F.J. Bright
P.R. Brown
p Mrs. E.M. Byrom
p M.F. Cartwright
p K.G. Chapman
p P.J. Chegwyn
p A.P. Collett
p B.D. Dash
p C.R.H. Davidovitz
G.W. Davies-Dear
p Mrs. P.M. Devereux
p Mrs. P. Dickens
A.G. Dowden
p L.T. Dunsdon
p Dr. R.J. Ellis
p Capt. K.B. Estlin
p W.J. Filer
p Mrs. J.K. Frankum
p E.F. Gale, M.B.E.
p M.S. Geddes
p D. Gillett
p Mrs S.M. Glasspool, D.L.
p J.K. Glen
p B.T. Gurden
p Mrs. D.R. Harrison
S.A. Hayes
p P.A. Heath
p Mrs. K. Heron
p Felicity Hindson, M.B.E.
p Mrs. P.G.E. Holden-Brown
K. House
p P.R.C. Hutcheson
Jo Kelly
p M.J. Kendal
p R.J. Kimber
p D.A. Kirk
p T.G. Knight
p Mrs C.A. Leversha
p A.R. Ludlow
p P. Luffman
p P.K. Mason
p R.C. McIntosh
p Mrs. A.M. McNair Scott
p Mrs. P.G. Peskett
p P.A. Pierce
p R.H. Price
p Mrs. E.M.F. Randall
p A.W. Rice, T.D.
p M.J. Roberts
p Sir James Scott
p K.P.J. Searle
p J.D. Shaw
M.L. Sheehan
p Mrs M.D. Snaith
p Mrs. V. Steel
p J.W. Stocks
p T.K. Thornber, C.B.E.
J. Waddington
p Dr. J.G.L. Wall
p Mrs P.A. West
p M.J. Woodhall
p Jenny Wride
p D.F. Wright
343 THE LATE COUNCILLOR W.H. WHEELER.
The Chairman, Leader of the Council, the Leaders of the Minority Groups, together with other Members, paid tribute to the enormous contribution Councillor Wheeler had made to the quality of life of the Hampshire community through his service as a councillor, and to his courage and determination in faithfully carrying out his duties despite failing health in recent years. Special mention was made of his outstanding work in championing the cause of the disabled.
344 A. THE SOUTH EAST PLAN - ADVICE ON POLICIES FOR CENTRAL HAMPSHIRE AND NEW FOREST
B. SOUTH EAST PLAN SUB-REGIONAL STRATEGIES : SOUTH HAMPSHIRE, AND WESTERN CORRIDOR AND BLACKWATER VALLEY
Due to the close interrelationship of the two items, the Council considered in tandem the reports of the Director of Environment (Items 1(a) and 1(b) in the Minute Book) on advice on policies for Central Hampshire and the New Forest in the South East Plan, and the South East Plan Sub-Regional Strategies for South Hampshire and the Western Corridor and Blackwater Valley. Standing Order 7 was extended to allow a detailed presentation by the Director of Environment and her Deputy to take place during the course of which they amplified the two reports to include, in particular, updates on the recent meetings of the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire Steering Group and the Western and Blackwater Valley Corridor Sub-Regional Members Steering Group. This was followed by an extensive question and answer session and a full discussion. Issues covered included (inter alia) concerns at the limited timeframes within which SEERA required responses; the central importance of the quality of life of residents; the need for any growth to be preceded, or at least accompanied by, provision of appropriate infrastructure; strategic gaps; affordable housing; and certain local issues. During the course of discussion, the Leader submitted a set of recommendations in respect of the South East Plan papers, prepared in the light of the deliberations of the two Steering Groups previously mentioned.
In conclusion, the Council considered separately the recommendations contained in the report of the Director of Environment on advice on policies for Central Hampshire and the New Forest within the South East Plan, and the recommendations presented by the Leader on South East Plan Sub-Regional Strategies. There were no substantive amendments proposed on either paper.
ORDERED:
(i) That subject to the incorporation of certain textual amendments referred to in discussion, the Council approves the document, "The South East Plan - Advice on Policies for Central Hampshire and the New Forest" for submission to the South East England Regional Assembly as the Council's advice for the preparation of the South East Plan.
(ii) That in respect of the South East Plan Sub-Regional Strategies for South Hampshire, and the Western Corridor and Blackwater Valley:
1 This Council advises the South East Regional Assembly (SEERA) that Government has allowed insufficient time for constituent authorities to consider fully SEERA's proposals for house building growth in the South East Region.
[South East Plan]
2 The timescale has meant that it has not been possible to fully test the implications of the proposed +6% - +20% addition to RPG 9 prior to SEERA conducting wider consultation. Hampshire County Council considers that it has been unable to test sufficiently the impact of increased growth in the economy and housing numbers in respect of transport, schooling, roads, environment, water infrastructure and quality of life.
[South East Plan]
3 This Council condemns the instruction that the two sub regions covering parts of Hampshire should test a minimum of +6% rising to 40% addition to housing growth over RPG 9.
[South East Plan]
4 This Council draws to the attention of SEERA that Hampshire has the highest rate of house building in the South East Region and that there is currently an estimated £4 billion of infrastructure required to accompany current growth which the Government has failed to fund. Despite parts of South Hampshire having one of the highest rates of traffic congestion in the country, the Government has declined to fund its share of the LRT system between Fareham and Portsmouth. This scheme and its later phases would have played a major part in addressing traffic congestion problems in the region.
[South East Plan/Hampshire as a
whole/Sub Regional Strategies]
5 The Council draws to the attention of SEERA the present RPG 9 planned rates of house building in the South East:
Per Annum Current Build
Buckinghamshire 3210 2303
Berkshire 2620 2231
East Sussex 2290 2382
Hampshire 6030 6762
Kent 5700 5621
Oxfordshire 2430 2164
Surrey 2360 2835
West Sussex 2890 2420
Isle of Wight 520 373
--------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL 28050 27091
The Deputy Prime Minister has called for one million more houses to be built in the next 20 years. The Eastern Region is proposing 475,000 more houses. In RPG 9 the South East has committed to growth from 2001 to 2016 which will give rise to an extra 701,250 houses if rolled forward to 2026. Under these current proposals the Deputy Prime Minister's target would be achieved.
[South East Plan/Hampshire as a whole]
6 Taking into account that Hampshire is already, under existing commitments, building more houses than any other county in the South East, and that RPG 9 plus the Eastern Region plans for the 25 year period (01-26) will more than achieve the ODPM target, Hampshire County Council resolves:
[South East Plan/Hampshire as a whole]
(a) That it will support continuation of RPG 9 (6,030 houses per annum) but will not support growth beyond RPG 9.
[South East Plan/Hampshire as a whole]
(b) That it is too soon for SEERA to suggest numbers of houses in excess of RPG 9 in the absence of evidence to support the sustainability of such numbers.
[South East Plan/Hampshire as a whole]
(c) That growth at RPG 9 levels has not been matched by Government funding and present levels of growth in housing numbers are in jeopardy.
[South East Plan/Hampshire as a whole]
(d) That planning for the next 5 years should proceed on the basis of RPG 9 growth levels and then be subject to review, and any necessary adjustments made.
[South East Plan/Hampshire as a whole]
(e) That this Council calls upon the Government to play its part in funding the infrastructure required for both existing and future growth.
[South East Plan/Hampshire as a whole]
(f) That this Council supports the resolution of the Western Corridor and Blackwater Valley Steering Group that in relation to that area:
· A continuation of RPG9 growth rates can be accepted, subject to appropriate and timely infrastructure;
· Growth beyond RPG9 + 10% is unacceptable.
[Sub Regional Strategies]
(g) That for South Hampshire, the County Council supports:
· the idea of 'conditional managed growth' and the message that the pace of development must be dependent on the pace of investment in new infrastructure;
· the aim of economic growth - taking the point made in the report that 'growth' is not synonymous with 'development'; and focused on those areas where improving employment opportunities would be most beneficial and in order to reduce regional disparities;
· the city-focus and priority on urban regeneration and brownfield development;
· the emphasis on protecting and improving the quality of life.
[Sub Regional Strategies]
(h) that the Council has reservations on the resolution of the Partnership for South Hampshire to plan for housing growth of up to RPG9 + 20% and economic growth of up to 3.5% in that:
· the evidence is insufficiently developed at this stage of the process in respect of the relationship between economic growth and housing and the likelihood that the identified barriers to higher economic growth can be overcome, particularly in the first part of the Plan period;
[Sub Regional Strategies]
(i) the indications are that a growth of around 3% (the projected long term regional average) could be supported by housing growth rate at RPG9 only.
[Sub Regional Strategies]
5aM571104