1.15

To be able to make an informed decision all policies should be up to date and relevant at the time of making a decision, particularly a decision about a new settlement.

Policies 5S, 6 and 7S are idiotically draconian and will continue to repress countless sensible and entirely desirable development opportunities in the rural area. They are not compliant with the spirit of detail of the 2018 revision of NPPF.

Many councillors belatedly realised this after the Local Plan 2030 was adopted - even though I flagged the issues up to the Exec in September 2018 - and made their feeling clear in the planning committee meetings in the months after adoption. Which is why the planners had to hurriedly issue a 'briefing' note in May 2020 to try to justify the policies.

The final paragraph of the note demonstrates how the issue will be kicked into the long grass...

'Moving forward the policies (along with all others) will be monitored to see if they are being effective. In particular, Policy 7S seeks to restrict development in the countryside to exceptional situations and there are risks of unintended consequences if the policy is not applied strictly, so it will be monitored to see if it achieves its intended purpose. Future reviews of the plan will provide the opportunity to amend policies if necessary.'

There won't be any revision of policies 5S, 6 and 7S because BCC's planning department doesn't want them changed. They make the council's life much easier at planning appeals. There were put in specifically to ensure that the narrow vision of what BCC constitutes 'sustainable' development in the countryside is enforced, regardless of whether it actually makes any sense.

However, with the recent changes to the scheme of delegation there will be even fewer opportunities for councillors to embarrass the planning department on this matter at committee so it's a moot point, at best.

Utilities especially water supply where Anglian Water has virtually taken up residence in Renhold to repair continuous leakes. Also theout dated sewer system. More housing would put untlod pressure on this system. Which in turn would lead to flodding and drainage.