Agenda item

The Executive was reminded that the provision of or financial contribution to Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) was a requirement for all planning applications involving new residential development to mitigate the adverse impacts of human activity on the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area.

It was reported that SANG capacity in the west of the borough was becoming limited and, without further provision, by 2020 applications for new residential development were at risk of being refused due to no SANG capacity being available.

Members were reminded that Shepherds Meadows SANG was the main SANG that provided capacity for the Western Urban Area, including Camberley Town Centre, and was owned by Bracknell Forest Council (BFC). In 2015, the Council had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with BFC for the provision of capacity at Shepherds Meadows, equivalent to 1200 people.

To date, the monies that had been sent to BFC equated to 256 people. However, unimplemented applications had ‘banked’ an allocated capacity of 715 people, but had not yet made the relevant SANG contribution. Thus, the capacity remaining for allocation was actually 229 people. Approximately 80% of applications holding capacity at Shepherds Meadows SANG related to Prior Notifications for the change of use from office uses to residential uses.

The Executive was informed that there was a need to limit SANGs capacity committed to applications that had not commenced, and thereby ensure that applications that would be delivering housing had capacity.  It was therefore proposed to reduce the time period for which a planning application was valid from 3 years to 1 year for all applications involving net new residential development, as appropriate. This approach has been adopted by other authorities, including Rushmoor Borough Council.

It was advised that in specific cases, for example larger development proposals in excess of 100 units, discretion would be applied by the case officer in determining whether it is appropriate for a one year expiration of planning permission to be applied. Furthermore, this change would not be applied to development proposals providing their own SANG.

It was recognised that, for Prior Approvals, it was not possible to limit the approval to a year; however, as the landowner of strategic SANGs, the Council could enter into an agreement with developers seeking Prior Approval to reserve SANG capacity for a one year period.

The Executive considered the current position in respect of payments to BFC and the proposal to make a forward payment of £300,000.00 for a proportion of capacity that had been reserved, but for which contributions had not been provided. In combination with applications that were due to make the relevant SANG in the coming months, for example Prior Notifications that were due to complete and were therefore required to pay SANG monies prior to occupation, this payment would enable the Council to provide the second maintenance contribution to BFC.

RESOLVED that

(i)        the Executive Head of Regulatory be asked to include a condition in all delegated planning applications, or a recommendation to the Planning Applications Committee, as appropriate, that planning applications for new residential development be valid for one year following the grant of planning permission, rather than three years as at present;

(ii)       a forward payment of £300,000.00 be made to Bracknell Forest Council to reserve SANG capacity at Shepherds Meadows; and

(iii)      the Chief Executive be asked to work with the Land & Property Board to identify sites within the borough for use as SANG and report back to the Executive by December 2019.