Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

a)  To agree the minutes of the meeting held on 17^th September, 2018

b)  Matters arising

The minutes of the meeting held on 17^th September 2018 were signed as a true record. There were no matters arising.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) which outlined the draft hot food takeaway Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). The SPD provided draft technical guidance which supports the adopted Local Plan.

Following a period of public examination of the Coventry Local Plan and issuing of the Inspector’s report in November 2017, the Coventry Local Plan was approved at Cabinet on 28^th November 2017 and adopted by Council on 5^th December 2017. The Coventry Local Plan became the basis for determining planning applications from 6^th December 2017.

This SPD is intended to provide technical guidance and support to Policy R6 (Restaurants, Bars and Hot Food Takeaways) of the new Local Plan. This would contribute to delivering one of the overall objectives of the Plan which is to recognise the commercial element of hot food takeaways and their role within community provisions but to balance that with helping improve the health and wellbeing of Coventry people.

The Hot Food Takeaway SPD explained the requirements, relevant thresholds and measures that may need to be taken to ensure that a hot food takeaway is acceptable in planning terms and satisfies policy R6. The requirements consist of:

·  Concentration of Hot Food Takeaways;

·  Proximity to Schools;

·  Litter and Waste Disposal;

·  Odour Extraction;

·  Highway Safety;

·  Opening Times; and

·  Conservation Areas and Listed Buildings

The Hot Food Takeaway Supplementary Planning Document and the accompanying appendices were attached to the report at Appendix 1.

The Cabinet Member and the Shadow Cabinet Members present expressed disappointment that no responses were received to the consultation from schools and education facilities despite having targeted correspondence sent directly to them. The Cabinet Member requested that the consultation be raised at the next Head Teachers Forum to raise its profile and encourage participation.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities:

1.  Notes the consultation statement included at Appendix 2 of the report.

2.  Approves the final round of consultation on the draft Hot Food Takeaway Supplementary Planning Document. The consultation is proposed to run for 6 weeks between Monday 7^th January 2019 and Monday 18^th February 2019. 

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) which provided a draft of the revised Air Quality Supplementary Planning Document.

This Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) is intended to provide technical guidance and support to Environmental Policy EM7 set out in the Local Plan. The Local Plan provided the framework for determining planning applications across Coventry following its adoption on 5^th December 2017. This SPD has been developed in partnership between the Council’s Planning, Environmental Protection and Public Health functions and is intended to support ongoing joint working on all matters of air quality through the planning process. The report summarised the principles set out in the draft Air Quality Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).

The planning process has a significant role to play in ensuring health and wellbeing by encouraging greater levels of sustainable development, including measures to secure air quality improvements. The entire city is currently a designated Air Quality Management Area and so all planning applications must be assessed in accordance with Policy EM7: Air Quality as set out in the Coventry Local Plan 2017.

The commitment to produce an Air Quality SPD in Coventry is outlined in the Coventry Local Plan, Policy EM7 – Air Quality. The SPD would reduce the burden on developers in Coventry in relation to air quality, help demonstrate that the city is committed to European air quality requirements and would also promote electric vehicle use across the city.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities:

1.  Notes the consultation statement included at Appendix 1 of the report.

2.  Approves a final round of consultation on the Air Quality SPD. The consultation is proposed to run for 6 weeks between Monday 7^th January 2019 and Monday 18^th February 2019. 

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) which provided information on the draft trees and development guidelines for Coventry – Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).

This draft SPD is intended to provide technical guidance and support to the Green Environment policies set out in Chapter 7 of the Local Plan (2016), in particular policies GE3 and GE4. To a lesser extent, it also builds upon some of the policies included in Chapters 9 (Conservation and Heritage) and 11 (Environmental Management). The Local Plan provides the framework for determining planning applications across Coventry following its adoption on 6^th December 2017. This SPD has been developed by the Council’s Planning and Housing Policy team and was intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the requirements for applicants in the planning process where trees are involved.

The SPD is structured in a sequential order for an applicant preparing a planning application submission where trees are involved. It covered supporting technical detail(s) around matters of:

·  Land Surveys

·  Tree surveys

·  Tree Constraint Plans

·  Arboricultural Method Statements

·  Capital Asset Value for Amenity Trees

·  Works to trees

·  Tree and Root Protection Measures

·  Planning new trees

·  Accessing and moving around sites

·  Avoiding damage to trees

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities:

1.  Notes the consultation statement included at Appendix 2 of the report.

2.  Approves a final round of public participation on the Trees & Development Guidelines SPD. The consultation is proposed to run for 6 weeks between Monday 7^th January 2019 and Monday 18^th February 2019.

Report of the Director of Finance and Corporate Services

The Cabinet Member noted a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) that identified those issues on which further reports has been requested and were outstanding so that progress could be monitored.

With regard to the report back on the “Article 4 direction – HiMO’s petition”, officers reported that they were still waiting for the data collected by the local resident association to be submitted for consideration (Minute 40 of the Cabinet Member for Community Development meeting held on 1^st November 2017). 

There were no other items of business.