To receive Questions from the Public, in accordance with the Council’s Constitution.
Minutes:
A public question was received from Mr Tony Martin:
“Are there any reasons, planning or otherwise, why the derelict sites on Derker have not been applied for regarding social housing? Why are the amenity spaces in Moorside, Sholver preferred, when the areas on Derker are Brownfield sites with excellent transport links, bus service 81 goes right through it, and the Metro is a short walk away. The area is clearly in need of regeneration, why are these areas not prioritised instead of disposing of community valued amenity spaces?”
The following response was provided:
“This is a good question and one that is often asked by people particularly when objecting to a planning application.
With land being in so many different ownerships, planning applications of all types are submitted as and when any particular land owner/developer is able or wants to.
In addition, when a planning application is submitted to a planning authority there is then a legal obligation on that authority to fully consider that application within a set time frame. A decision for each application will then be made on its own merits, as will the applications referred to in the question, and based on an assessment of current planning policy balancing the relative economic, social and environmental benefits and negatives a scheme has.
The question contends that none of the sites on Derker have had applications for development. This is not so as Keepmoat completed 165 units at Churchill Gardens in early 2016 and Guinness Northern Counties 10 homes on Acre Lane in 2014/15. First Choice Homes started on site with a further 51 affordable new homes on vacant land at Acre Lane earlier this year. Whilst the former Cromford Mill site is now used a Park and Ride for the Metrolink.
With regards to other previously developed land. Oldham MBC has produced a “Brownfield Register” which lists land that has been previously developed subject to its availability (ie will the owner sell it), its suitability and would development be achievable in the next 15 years.
It is often asked why councils don’t insist that these sites are used before others? And indeed a previous Government set a national target in February 1998 to ensure 60 per cent of all new developments were built on brownfield land this was followed up after the publication of Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3) published in November 2006, reiterated the Government's commitment to the 60 per cent target for new homes built on brownfield land.
In July 2011 the Coalition government published a new draft National Planning Policy Framework designed to streamline planning policy, improve clarity and unblock the system. The policy emphasis moved to one of encouraging sustainable growth and currently there is no legislation any local authority can use to compel anyone or any developer to build on any particular site.
Here in 2018 the emphasis is very much on “sustainable growth” and with the Government’s new housing targets more than doubling for local authorities including OMBC’s, it is more and more difficult for Las to insist on what goes where.”