The Working Party received a report on the progress of the Local Plan to date included details of the initial Local Plan consultation that took place earlier in 2015 including preparation of an evidence base to support the Plan.

Officers stated that work on preparing a new local plan for Havering started in 2013/14. The purpose of the new plan was to:

·         reflect the Government’s National Planning Policy Framework and the latest London Plan

·         provide an up to date plan for Havering to take account of emerging strategies and programmes such as the borough’s two housing zones and the frameworks prepared for Rainham and Romford

·         provide a context for the preparation of the Havering Community Infrastructure Levy

The Working Party noted that the work on the local plan had focussed on ensuring that the Council’s new ‘Vision’ was properly taken account of and reflected in the plan as it was essential that planning decisions were taken which would help secure the delivery of the ‘Vision’.

The report informed that the Local Plan report sought Cabinet approval to publish an updated Local Development Scheme (LDS) which was a statutory document setting out the plans and policy documents that would be prepared and a timetable for their delivery.

The Working Party was informed that since December 2015 the following progress had been made on the Local Plan:

1.    Evidence Base

The Local Plan was required to be supported and justified by a credible and robust evidence base. The key pieces of evidence that had progressed since December 2015 were:

• Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) 2016 – The Havering's SFRA Level 1 was published in 2014 and it provided a robust depiction of flood risk across the borough. Since the report was finalised the Environment Agency had published revised climate change projections which are required to be taken into account. An update of the 2014 SFRA had therefore been produced.
• Open Space, Allotments and Sport and Recreation Needs Assessment - provided a comprehensive assessment of the borough's existing supply of and future need for open spaces, allotments and sports facilities (both indoor and outdoor).
• Infrastructure Delivery Plan –identified the infrastructure needed to support the population and housing growth over the plan period. The study covered transport, water supply, wastewater and its treatment, energy, telecommunications, utilities, waste, health, social care, education and burial space.
• Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Needs Assessment – provided a robust assessment of current and future need for Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpersons accommodation within the Borough.
• Town Centre Audits The surveys provided an up to date understanding of the uses and vacancies within each town centre. The Audit would inform on decisions on any updates to the town centre designations within the Local Plan.
• Wind Energy Assessment sought to identify areas within the borough that were potentially suitable for the development of wind turbines in response to the Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS42) in June 2015 and the subsequent amendments to the Planning Practice Guidance which stated that Local Planning Authorities should only grant planning permission for wind turbines if the development site was in an area identified as suitable for wind energy development in a Local Plan.
• Residential Car Parking Standards Study would set out the evidence to inform local car parking standards within the Plan.
• Transport Background Paper brought together a number of transport evidence base documents to support the Plan.
• Outer North East London Strategic Housing Market Assessment This study has been undertaken with the London Boroughs of Barking and Dagenham and Redbridge. It outlined the objectively assessed need for private and affordable housing within the housing market area for the outer north east London area. Prior to the publication of the study updated population and household projections were published by the GLA. Work was underway to ensure that these projections are reflected in the SHMA.
• Local Plan Viability Assessment –sought to determine the likely impact that the policies and standards in the Local Plan would have on the viability of developments within the borough. The purpose of the viability assessment was to show (in general terms) that the cumulative impact when considering the Plan as a whole does not put the implementation of the Plan at risk.
• Sustainability Appraisal – sought to ensure that the promotion of sustainable development was integrated in the plan making process. It was a key tool used to appraise the environmental, economic and social effects of plans, strategies and policies.
• Green Belt Study – assessed Havering's Green Belt against the purposes of green belt as outlined in the National Planning Policy Framework. A Green Belt Topic Group had been set up by the Towns and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee to scrutinise and better understand the process involved in green belt land designation within the local plan system. Several meetings and a tour of green belt sites had taken place.  A further meeting was scheduled for late January 2017.

Officers stated that the Havering Local Plan was being prepared in accordance with the ‘Duty to Co-operate’, that placed a legal duty on local authorities and other public bodies to engage constructively, actively and on an on-going basis to maximise the effectiveness of Local Plan preparation on strategic cross-boundary matters.

The Working Party noted that since December 2015 officers had carried out a programme of engagement with neighbouring boroughs, other public bodies including the GLA & Environment Agency and had individual meetings as well as a formal duty to co-operate workshop with neighbouring boroughs in November 2016.

The Working Party was informed that the Local Plan Direction of Travel Document was published in November 2016 as a way of engaging with and keeping stakeholders up to date and providing further detail on the emerging strategy and policy approach that will be reflected in the Pre-Submission Local Plan.

The preparation of the Direction of Travel was not a statutory requirement but was prepared to inform stakeholders and assist in the process of preparing a new Plan.  Responses received to the Direction of Travel Document would be collated and reported to Cabinet alongside the Pre-Submission version of the Local Plan in due course.

Officers informed the Working Party that a draft Pre-Submission Local Plan would be discussed at a series of briefings with Cabinet Members throughout January 2017 – March 2017 followed by engagement with non-administration Members.

The indicative timetable for the progression of the Local Plan was outlined as follows:

–   Consultation (under Regulation 19) on the Pre-Submission version to commence in early 2017

–   Submission - Spring 2017

–   Examination - Summer/Autumn 2017 (subject to the availability of the Planning Inspectorate)

–   Adoption - Winter 2017/18

The Working Party noted the report.