Agenda item

Questions by the Public

To receive questions from and provide answers to the public in relation to matters which are about something the council is responsible for or something that directly affects people in the city, in accordance with Part B, paragraph 11 of the Constitution.

 

Questions, of no longer than 50 words, can be submitted to the Democratic Support Unit, Plymouth City Council, Ballard House, West Hoe Road, Plymouth, PL1 3BJ, or email to democraticsupport@plymouth.gov.uk. Any questions must be received at least five complete working days before the meeting.

Minutes:

One question was submitted by members of the public for this meeting, in accordance with Part B, paragraph 11 of the Constitution.

In the absence of Mr Sharpe the following question and response was circulated and a written response would be sent to him after the meeting –

 

Q2/

16-17

Mr Sharpe

Councillor Patrick Nicholson

Implementation of planning applications

If possible, please could it be disclosed, for the last 5 years, how many of the planning applications passed by Plymouth City Council have failed to be implemented by the end of the allocated time scale?

Response:

Thereis nonational requirementor needto monitorthe implementationof everysingleconsented planningapplication.   TheCity Councildoes nottherefore asa matterof routinemonitorevery singleplanningapplicationas thiswould betooresourceintensive.We dohowever monitorthe implementationof majorhousingand employment siteslinked tospecificprogrammesor initiatives– suchas theMarketRecoveryScheme(2009),the GetPlymouthBuildingProgramme (2012)or the Planfor Homes(2013).We alsoundertakeannualsurveysto monitorthe deliveryof sitesfor the 2007 adoptedPlymouthCoreStrategy,andthe associatedAreaActionPlans.

 

Between2011 andApril2016, there were38 planningapplicationsfor housingon sites thatwere not implemented, ofwhich 12 were onsitesof 10or moredwellings.

 

In thelast3 years therehas seen £763.5Million of developmentactivity, ofwhich£588.2Million has beenbuilt, oris currentlyunderconstruction; leaving£175.3 Millionofhousingand commercial developmentapprovedwhich hasnot yet started.

 

As at April2016, there were4,944 homes with planning permission thathadnot started construction.However,sincethen 1,648 dwellingshavebeen completedon20 sites.A further 2,415dwellingsareon sitesthat havealreadycommenced construction,sowill bebuilt indue course.We estimatethat thereare21 ‘genuinely’stalledhousing sites withthe potentialto yieldup to 717homes.Eachof thesehas a“Planof Action”whichincludesa cleardeliverystrategyand considerationof possiblenext steps.

 

In thelast3 yearsthere were1,147 homesconsentedon 16siteswheretheplanningpermissionhas beenallowedto lapseby thedeveloper/landowner.Again,we havebeen throughevery oneof these andhavea cleardeliverystrategy onsiteswe stillthink havesomepotential,althoughsomeof these siteshavefundamentalviabilityissues,whichmeansthey areunlikely tobe developedin the future.

 

Therehavebeen only6 majorplanningconsents forcommercialsitesin thelast3 yearsthat have eithernot beencompletedor startedon site.3 ofthesesitesarenow activelyprogressingwith City Councilhelp, 1sitewill notprogress,but theCity Councilis workingwith thelandowner tobring forwarda differentschemeon thesite,and onthe other2 sitesthere isno clearwayforwardfrom the privatesectorat this stage.

 

TheCity Councilhastherefore proactivelylookedat everysinglemajordevelopmentsiteto see whatwe cando toconvertthe planningconsentswe havegivento deliveryon the ground.