At the full Council meeting of 8 October, it was agreed for an adournment in order to allow public information seminars on proposals relating to the 'Leeds City Region - Growth Point'. The adjourned Council meeting will now take place 22 October, 7.30pm at the Town Hall (main hall). The appointment of a new Chief Executive has been added to the agenda.

MEMBERS OF POLICY COMMITTEE

2. NOTICE OF REVISED TIMING - POLICY COMMITTEE

Wednesday, 22 October, 6.00pm

Town Hall (main hall), High Street, Skipton

To accomodate the adjourned Council meeting the timing for the Policy Committee on 22 October has been changed to 6.00pm. It is aimed to conclude this meeting by 7.20pm or adjourn it at that time and then recommence the meeting after the completion of the full Council meeting. Please note that the meeting will also take place at the Town Hall (main hall).

Meeting at Craven District Council, Council Offices, Wednesday 8th October, 6:30 pm

Craven Councillors will be asked to vote on plans to access up to £40 million of Government cash to pay for improvements with the commitment of building 300 homes a year all of them to be concentrated in South Craven within 20 miles of Leeds.

Agenda item 5 of the above meeting.

Leeds City Region - New Growth Point Update - Report of the Strategic Director (Environmental Services) to follow.

Purpose of Report - Further to Policy Committee 24th September (Minute POL. 136), to advise Members of recent developments in relation to Growth Point status, and the joint expression of interest for the Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF), and to confirm Council's support for continuing work in relation to Growth Point and the associated increase in housing numbers; and to seek Council approval for moving ahead with a Regeneration Masterplan for South Craven.

LEEDS CITY REGION GROWTH POINT

Report of the Director of Environmental Services

Ward(s) affected: All

1. Purpose of Report

1.1 To update Members on recent developments in relation to Growth Point status, and to seek Members' approval in principle for a submission of a Programme of Development bid in relation to Growth Point.

1.2 To seek Member approval in principal for the preparation of a detailed programme and brief for a regeneration Masterplan for South Craven, with a further report being brought to Policy Committee for approval of the programme and brief.

2.Recommendations - Members are recommended to:

2.1 Confirm support in principle for the Growth Point draft Programme of Development (POD), with the indicative housing numbers and distribution referred to in Option 2 of this report (in line with the area distribution in para 3.14), subject to these numbers being further considered and approved through Regional Spatial Strategy and the Council's LDF procedures.

2.2 Give delegated authority to the Strategic Director for Environment Services, in consultation with the Leader and lead member of Strategic Housing, to finalise the POD document, prior to final submission on 27th October 2008.

2.3 Confirm support for the expression of interest in relation to the Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF), subject to a further statement being submitted reflecting the indicative housing figures referred to in 2.1 above.

2.4 Agree to the initiation of a South Craven Regeneration Masterplan, document including the preparation of a programme of work and a detailed brief, with these details being reported to Policy Committee for approval once they have been worked up.

3.Background

3.1 Policy Committee on 24th September, considered a report which set out the background to Growth Points status, and how the Council had emerged as one of four new Growth Points within the Leeds City region, as well as the funding streams that had potentially opened up to the Council. A copy of that report, and its accompanying Appendix has been circulated to all Members.

3.2 Policy Committee determined that it was unable to reach a view on whether it should provide support to the Council's engagement in the two funding streams of (POD & CIF), as it had a number of concerns, particularly in relation to potential increased housing numbers and the increased distribution for South Craven. Policy Committee resolved that there should be a special seminar for Members to be able to understand the issues better, and a special Full Council meeting.

3.3 The member seminar took place on 1st October, and was well attended. A summary of the key points is provided as Appendix 1 to this report.

3.4 The main points that Members had a degree of consensus over were:

• Agreement to 300 dwellings per year over the RSS period (as agreed at Policy Committee in December 2007.
• The 300 per year should be distributed across the District in accordance with the proportions agreed through the LDF Core Strategy.

3.5 Since the Seminar, officer discussions at the Leeds City Region working group have continued, and it has emerged that such an approach could be included within the POD. It has also emerged that each of the four Districts will have a slightly different approach to the Growth Point. Some Districts will have sites named & pre-allocated and currently available (as in Barnsley), while a more flexible, area based approach, without reference to specific sites could be promoted by Craven. This would reflect Craven's current stage in its LDF and would be more realistic representation of where the planning process is currently at. It has also emerged that the POD would state that housing figures are indicative only at this stage, and will be subject in each case to each Council's LDF consultations and procedures, and any increased housing figures being agreed through RSS. In this way, clarity can be given that Councils will need to fully engage the public in this process, and gain subsequent formal agreements to site allocations through established planning procedures, and that in submitting expressions of interest and bids, Councils are not being committed to provision.

3.6 In Craven's case, spreading the 300 dwellings per year around the District in accordance with Core Strategy could be seen as a removal of the direct correlation between increased housing numbers and the case for the provision of infrastructure in South Craven, and could result in Craven's bid being weakened. This is particularly the case given that Craven's RSS figure when Growth Point was applied for was 180 dwellings per year, but this was increased through Final RSS to 250 per year, thus producing much less of an uplift in housing numbers.

3.7 As a result, it is suggested that two options are considered for inclusion into the POD:

Option 1

3.8 An indicative figure of 300 dwelling per year for the whole RSS period (2026).

Option 2

3.9 An indicative figure of 355 dwellings per year for the Growth Point period (up to 2016/17), with a reduction back to 250 per year in later years.

3.10 Both Options 1 and 2 provide a total number of dwellings 2008 to 2026 of 5400 dwellings

3.11 As can be seen from the chart in Appendix 2, both options provide a total RSS period of 5400 dwellings.

3.12 The more likely reality would be a slow start from 2008, particularly given the current state of the present housing market, with an increase beyond the next two years when the market picks up, with the biggest increases after the infrastructure investments, coupled with associated enabling feasibility works and masterplanning have taken place. This possible trajectory is shown as the right hand column in Appendix 2.

3.13 It must be emphasised that these figures are purely indicative, and would be subject to public consultation and approval through the LDF process and the RSS.

3.14 In both Option 1 and 2, it is proposed to use the agreed LDF Core Strategy distribution below:

3.15 To maximise Craven's potential of attracting funding, it is strongly recommended that Option 2 is offered as an indicative trajectory, reflecting earlier delivery in the Growth Point period, balanced by slower delivery in the latter half of the RSS period. The point would be made in the POD however, that the likely scenario would be that shown in the right hand column, ie a slow start, a peak after 2012, with a slowing in the rest of the period.

4.Implications

4.1 Financial Implications

There are no immediate financial implications to the Council as a result of submitting the expression of interest for CIF and the bid for POD, other than officer time. A South Craven Masterplan might incur an upfront cost if commenced prior to the award of POD funding. The cost of a Masterplan and associated public engagement could be in the order of £50k to £100k. A further report would be needed to Policy Committee to seek approval of a programme of works and a detailed brief.

4.2 Legal Implications

There are no legal implications arising from this report.

5. Contribution to corporate priorities

The growth Point status contributes significantly to all of the Council's Corporate Priorities

6. Risk Management

There is a risk that the submissions for CIF and Growth Point POD do not result in funding being delivered. In the event of that occurring, given the work that has already taken place in relation to the station, it is anticipated that work could continue, with alternative funding sources being sought.

7.Consultation with others

Government Office, Network Rail, METRO, NYCC, Y&H Regional Assembly,

8. Author of the Report -

Colin Walker, Director of Environmental Services, 01756 706440.cwalker@cravendc.gov.uk

Appendices-

Appendix 1

Summary of points of agreement from Member Seminar - 1 October 2008

Appendix 2

Indicative annual completion rates for housing

Options 1 and 2

Appendix 1

Summary of points of agreement from Member Seminar 1 October 2008

- it will be important to achieve consensus within the Council in taking our position forward to the City region / Govt Office

- Members still appear to be supportive of 300 dwellings / annum for the Craven District but are some less supportive of allocating the level of housing proposed for South Craven ie RSS plus growth point.

- Members will want to see the case put whereby we still pursue the infrastructure through Growth Point but articulate our case in such a way as to demonstrate that a wider area would benefit from those improvements and therefore it is appropriate to spread the housing load wider than just Glusburn and Sutton, perhaps taking the 50 additional dwelling in South Craven but reducing the %age allocated from RSS. Mr Osborne of Arups expressed the opinion that a case could be put and it would not be unreasonable to do so provided we make the case.

-We need to define South Craven, it would appear South Craven being referred to is Glusburn and Sutton Wards but South Craven as part of the Craven District is Glusburn, Sutton, Cowling and Aire Valley with Lothersdale.

- Members need to see something coming forward asap to show how we could / propose to bring forward / speed up production of the necessary LDF planning policy papers to fill the void that appears to exist so as to enable the Council to take the initiative in dealing with developers / applications and make clear what it would like to see happen and what it expects from them. Members appear supportive of seeking contributions by way of a policy which places a levy on new housing to help with infrastructure improvements.

- Members agreed with Mr Osborne's point about Growth Point being an opportunity for the Council to set the agenda, and drive forward what it wants, with a clear vision expressed through a masterplan, and how infrastructure can work hand in hand with growth.

Appendix 2

Indicative annual completion rates for housing

Options 1 and 2

the "possible Station being delivered by 2012, and other feasibility and masterplanning work being in place to stimulate the housing market in the District.