Agenda and minutes

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Contact: Usha Patel  Governance Services Officer, Tel: 024 7697 2301, Email:  usha.patel@coventry.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

12.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

Councillor R Bailey declared an “Other Interest” in the matter the subject of Minute 14 below headed “Response to Petition Regarding Building on Areas Identified as Green Belt and Urban Green Space”. As a member of the Planning Committee, he stated that he would not be discussing specific applications.

 

13.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 287 KB

a)  To agree the minutes of the meeting held on 9 July, 2021

 

b)  Matters arising

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 9 July 2021 were agreed as a true record.

There were no matters arising.

14.

Response to Petition Regarding Building on Areas Identified as Green Belt and Urban Green Space pdf icon PDF 363 KB

Report of the Director of Street Scene and Regulatory Services

 

To consider the above petition, bearing 117 signatures, which has been submitted by Councillor K Maton, a Henley Ward Councillor, who has been invited to the meeting for consideration of this item, together with the petition organiser

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Director of Streetscene and Regulatory Services which provided a formal response to a petition regarding building on areas identified as green belt and urban green space.

 

The petition bearing 117 signatures was submitted on 28 May 2021 and was sponsored by Councillor K Maton, a Henley Ward Councillor. Councillor Maton and the petition organiser attended the meeting and spoke in respect of the petition.

 

The petition headed “Green Urban Space and Green belt Policy” read:

 

“We the undersigned petition the Council to reiterate its policy that no housing should be allowed on identified green belt or urban green space areas. Further, that the council increases efforts to ensure that new housing areas contain high levels of quality accessible landscaped space and developers are encouraged to provide such landscaped areas and gardens as part of their housing developments

 

The council has both a policy of “brownfield first” and a policy of the protection of green belt and urban green spaces. In the recent planning application by the council for Elm Fields Farm it includes houses on land that was identifies as urban green space in the Coventry Local Plan and the previously approved planning application. We are alarmed that the council could be setting a dangerous precedent for future planning applications by this application”.

 

The report stated that it was taken that urban green space referenced in the petition and the land designation Local Green Space are synonymous. The Council’s position on development in green belt and Local Green Space are expressed in Policy GB1 of the Local Plan, specifically:

 

“2A: Inappropriate development will not be permitted in the Coventry Green Belt unless very special circumstances exist. Development proposals, including those involving previously developed land and buildings, in the Green Belt will be assessed in relation to the relevant national planning policy. And

 

2B:  Within areas designated as Local Green Space, the erection of small buildings and structures which are ancillary to the primary use of the land may be acceptable. Other development will not be permitted unless very special circumstances are demonstrated”.

 

The Council remains committed to the above policy, which also conforms with

national policy.

 

The Council also remains committed to delivering high quality residential environments through the use of Plan policies and constructive negotiation with developers. To further ais this, the Council would soon be undertaking a public consultation on a Green Space Supplementary Document (SPD) that would further articulate developers’ requirement and help deliver on-site provision of a variety of open space typologies.

 

Councillor Maton commented that the recent Covid pandemic had highlighted the importance of green space and placed it firmly on the health and wellbeing agenda. He referred to recent developments in the city where one had incorporated plenty of green space and the other, on a former industrial site, consisted of cramped housing with very little green space. He added that developments should comprise of good quality housing and ample green space, not just back yards.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

15.

Outstanding Issues

There are no outstanding issues

Minutes:

There were no outstanding issues.

16.

Any other item of public business which the Cabinet Member decides to take as matters of urgency because of the special circumstances involved

Minutes:

There were no other items of business.