Agenda item

Report of the Director of City Services

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Director of City Services which sought approval to commence a public consultation on the University of Warwick Campus Framework Masterplan Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).

The purpose of the Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) would be to provide a framework for guiding the level an broad location of growth on the main University of Warwick campus as well as design principles to be considered when assessing planning applications on the campus.

The SPD would provide supplementary planning guidance to policy JE1 of the adopted Coventry City Council Local Plan 2017-2031. Policy JE1 (Overall Economy and Employment Strategy) states that ‘The Council would work positively and proactively with the business community in the city, inward investors, the City’s two universities, key public sector employers, the CWLEP and neighbouring local authorities to support sustainable economic growth and job creation’. Part h of the policy specifically references supporting tourism and visitor related development including the campus and Warwick University, and part i of the policy supports the continued growth of the universities. Policy CO1 (New or Improved social, community and leisure premises’), Part 3 states: ‘Where proposals are in accordance with the approved Masterplans for Coventry University or the University of Warwick, they will normally be approved subject to high quality design proposals’. Currently, no such Masterplan was in place for the area.

SPDs are non statutory documents which could be used to cover a wide range of issues giving detailed guidance on how policies or proposals in the development plan documents would be implemented. Accordingly, they can take a form of a design guide, development brief, masterplan or an issue-based document. The SPD proposed in this report would provide a more detailed masterplan framework as well as the supplementary guidance to assist with the determination of future planning applications made in relation to the University of Warwick campus.

The University’s main campus straddles the administrative boundaries of Coventry and Warwick District, with majority of the academic faculty buildings being located in Coventry and residential accommodation and sports facilities being largely located within Warwick District. It was therefore important that the SPD was also consistent with Warwick District Council’s relevant Local Plan policy as it was intended that this would be a jointly prepared and adopted document.

The SPD covered the entirety of the main University campus, and hence addressed land in both Warwick District and Coventry City Council areas. Therefore, both local authorities were seeking approval from their respective Cabinets with a view to conducting a joint public consultation on the SPD. It was proposed that that public consultation in Coventry would commence after the election period. Warwick District Council had gained authority to consult on the document at its Cabinet meeting held on 6 March 2024.

The document sought to set out the University’s plans for future development on campus and their proposed location. The university appointed planning consultants to lead on the drafting of the document with input from a range of other consultants and considerable involvement from officers representing the City Council, Warwick District Council and Warwickshire County Council via a steering group. These involvements shaped the Framework Masterplan SPD as attached at Appendix One of the report.

In order to progress the SPD to formal adoption, the Council would have to hold a statutory public consultation on the document for a minimum period of six weeks to ensure compliance with the Council's adopted Statement of Community Involvement (SCI).

Following consultation, all comments would be considered and where appropriate, the SPD would be amended. The final version of the SPD would be submitted to Cabinet for formal approval and full Council for adoption.

If the SPD is adopted, it would be treated as a material planning consideration in the consideration of relevant planning applications. An SPD does not have any weight as development plan policy (like the Local Plan policies), but nonetheless, the SPD would be used as guidance to assist with decision making. 

Councillor Lapsa, Shadow Cabinet Member commented that he was generally supportive of this, however there were promises made in the past that had never materialised such as the green travel plan. He also mentioned that Warwick volunteers did a lot in the community but that they did not engage with other groups. In addition, Councillor Lapsa raised concerns with regard to the A46 link road and the impact this would have elsewhere. Councillor Lapsa was encouraged to submit his comments to the consultation.

Councillor Agboola, Deputy Cabinet Member asked whether there had been any engagement with the students and noted that this would be raised with the planning consultants at their next meeting.

Councillor Welsh, Cabinet Member welcomed the six-week consultation.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member:

1.  Approves in principle the content of the draft University Campus Framework Masterplan SPD and authorisesthe commencement of a public consultation for no less than 6 weeks.

2.  Delegates authority to the Strategic Lead for Planning, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, to make any non-substantive amendments to the documentation prior to consultation and to agree dates for the consultation.

3.  Notes that following the conclusion of the public consultation a further report including the final version of the SPD would be submitted to Cabinet for formal approval and adoption.