Issue - meetings
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Net Gain Consultation Proposals
Meeting: 24/01/2019 - Planning and Licensing Committee (Item 776)
PDF 913 KBTo consider the report of the Director of Strategy, Performance and Governance, (copy enclosed).
Additional documents:
Minutes:
The Committee considered the report of the Director of Strategy, Performance and Governance seeking Members’ approval of a draft response (attached at Appendix 1 to the report) to the DEFRA consultation on its proposal to mandate biodiversity net gain for development requiring planning permission.
The report provided detail regarding the proposal from DEFRA to introduce legislation to mandate net biodiversity gain in new development. The Net Gain Consultation sought local authority and development industry input into setting out the parameters for a future scheme.
Members discussed the consultation response and the following amendments were agreed to the consultation response:
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Consultation Question |
Amendment |
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8. For what species is it plausible to use district level of strategic approaches to improve conservation outcomes and streamline planning processes? Please provide evidence. |
Response to be amended from ‘no comment’ to include an update regarding the introduction of species through district level or strategic approach along with Natural England’s suggestion for Great Crested Newt Licensing to be done at a District level. |
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27. What safeguards might be needed in the implementation of conservation covenants? |
Response to be amended from ‘no comment’ to include a comment following clarification from Officers on the meaning of ‘conservation covenants’. |
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31. How should the tariff revenue be collected? a) Locally (e.g. through a Local Authority) b) Nationally (e.g. through Natural England or another national body) c) Other, please specify. |
Councillor A S Fluker proposed that the Council should try and deal with tariff revenue locally which would allow the Council to shape the District.
It was agreed that this response would be amended to include these comments. |
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Exemptions |
It was agreed that a comment regarding mitigating any charge on affordable housing as the costs of new build affordable housing was becoming a problem. |
During the debate, Councillor Mrs P A Channer repeated her non-pecuniary interest in this item of business as a Trustee of the Henry Guilder Drake Trust. Councillor S J Savage also declared a non-pecuniary interest in this item of business as he was a trustee of two trust houses.
RESOLVED that subject to the above amendments the consultation the proposed response to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs consultation on Net Gain proposals be revised to take into account the views of the Committee and approved by Officers in consultation with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of this Committee and submitted as the Council’s formal response to the consultation.