Issue - meetings

Report of the Executive Director of Place

The Cabinet considered a report of the Executive Director of Place, which sought approval of the New Coventry Local Plan for a period of public consultation.

The Office for National Statistics recognised Coventry as the fastest growing city outside Greater London with continuing job growth and two successful universities.  The Local Plan responded to the growth and the policies and proposals within it to provide a blueprint to support the Council’s overarching aim of re-establishing itself as a Top Ten City.

The Plan identified out how and where the city would grow, develop and change and how the Council would work jointly with its partners and neighbouring authorities to support and facilitate this growth.  It would be managed through a range of policies, designations and allocations, which would cover a broad selection of policy areas, including:

·  Sustainable Development and the Duty to Cooperate;

·  Housing;

·  The Economy, Jobs and Employment;

·  Public Health;

·  Retail, Social, Community and Leisure Uses;

·  The Green Belt and the Wider Green Environment;

·  Heritage and Conservation;

·  Urban and Landscape Design;

·  Accessibility and Transport;

·  Environmental Management, Climate Change and Minerals and Waste; and

·  Infrastructure Provision.

The Cabinet noted that although all elements of the plan present specific policy implications and proposals for different parts of the city, of particular importance was the quantum of growth proposed and the impacts it would have on the city’s Green Belt.  The development pressures outlined in the report submitted were testimony to the growing demand from people who wanted to live and work in the City, and who were increasingly attracted to the area as a result of the resurgence of manufacturing industries in the sub-region, the success of Coventry’s two world class universities and the growth in jobs across many sectors.

As such, an Objectively Assessed Need for Housing had been identified of 42,400 homes for Coventry between 2011 and 2031.  This had been informed by the Government’s most recent population projections.  It was not possible however to accommodate this level of housing within the City’s administrative boundaries, with the Council’s housing land supply identifying a capacity of approximately 25,000 homes.  A Memorandum of Understanding had therefore been prepared with the six Warwickshire authorities to propose how the remaining housing need would be redistributed and planned for (see Minute 102 above).  The total capacity for new homes was approximately 400 homes higher than the housing requirement agreed in the Memorandum of Understanding with Warwickshire. This helped provide some flexibility to the City’s housing land supply, which was a requirement of national guidance. Included as part of this growth were two proposed urban extensions at Keresley and Eastern Green.  These two areas represented the first sizeable planned expansion of Coventry’s urban area in over 50 years.

In addition to housing needs the plan also responded to the need for employment land.  A total requirement of 354ha had been identified, which reflected both the need for new land but also an allowance for qualitative improvements to the City’s employment land offer.  The plan made  ...  view the full minutes text for item 104