Minutes:
It was moved by Councillor O Scargill and seconded by Councillor L Bones that:
Local Plan Motion
As reported in the Guardian earlier this year, many local authorities across the
country have paused their housebuilding plans following the government’s decision to drop mandatory targets. Like Dorset Council, who announced they would be delaying the implementation of their Local Plan last year.
North Tyneside Labour’s plan to build 3,000 houses at Rake Lane is incredibly
unpopular with local residents, with many raising serious concerns about the impact on traffic congestion (especially in such close proximity to the Dutch-style roundabout), local healthcare services and school places – as well as the environmental impact on the loss of our green space.
Council notes that several local authorities across the country have paused their housebuilding plans. Council believes the Local Plan is unpopular with local residents, and new homes should be built in appropriate locations, protecting green space at the murton gap.
Council agrees to undertake the preparation of a new Local Plan once a revised NPPF has been published. Council requests the revised local plan explores the possibility to remove the Murton Gap strategic site from the Local Plan, protecting our green space and aligning with residents views.
An amendment was moved by Councillor C Johnson and seconded by Councillor S Graham that:
- Amended paragraph 1
- Removed paragraph 2 and 3.
- Added new paragraphs as paragraphs 2,3 and 4:
- Added additional wording to paragraph 4; and
- Removed the final paragraph.
The amended motion read:
‘As reported in the Guardian earlier this year, Council notes many local authorities who were already preparing new plans following the government’s proposal to drop mandatory targets. Like Dorset Council, who do not have an adopted Local Plan, who announced they would be delaying the implementation of their Local Plan last year.
Council notes that the North Tyneside local plan as adopted and agreed by the Conservative Secretary of State cannot be scrapped and will continue to be the document upon which planning decisions are made until a new plan is formed.
Council notes that many authorities who do not have adopted, up to date plans are seeing developers running riot, building on the greenbelt, not building enough affordable housing, not getting the required infrastructure agreed because of the lack of an up to date adopted local plan.
Council notes that while the Conservative Government have announced planning reforms this is not the first time, they have promised to empower local residents in their decision making on planning which have ultimately failed and it is this which had led to the council having to include sites like the Murton gap in the its plan.
Council agrees to undertake the preparation of a new local plan once a revised NPPF has been published and the Levelling Up and the Regeneration Bill becomes an Act of Parliament.
Council requests that the new local plan reviews the need to include all developable sites in the borough including Murton Gap to see which sites to include in the new local plan to meet the Conservative Government’s house building target which is likely to be at least 800 homes a year.’
A recorded vote on the amendment was requested by two Members present:
Votes for the Motion:
Dame N Redfearn, Elected Mayor and Councillors G Bell, B Burdis, C Burdis, D Cox, N Craven, J Cruddas, E Darke, C Davis, D Drummond, P Earley, S Graham, M Hall, T Hallway, J Harrison, Janet Hunter, John Hunter, V Jamieson, C Johnson, H Johnson, J Kirwin, F Lott, W Lott, G Madden, L Marshall, A McMullen, J Montague, T Mulvenna, M Murphy, A Newman, P Oliver, R O’Keefe, E Parker-Leonard, J O’Shea, S Phillips, B Pickard, W Samuel, J Shaw, M Thirlaway and M Wilson.
Votes against the Motion:
Councillors L Arkley, K Barrie, L Bartoli, L Bones, C Johnston, P McIntyre, O Scargill, J Wallace and G Westwater,
The amendment was agreed by 40 votes to 9 votes.
The amended substantive motion, on being put to the meeting, was agreed by 40 votes to 9 votes.