Agenda item

It was moved by Cllr Don Whitaker and seconded by Cllr Alan Hosker that:

`The Burnley Local Plan, brought in by the Labour administration in 2018, has seen significant amounts of our green spaces allocated to housing developments in spite of the strong objections of local residents and the significant number of vacant houses in the Borough.

This has included land off Red Lees Road where 125 homes are now being built, fields behind Smithyfield Avenue and Rossendale Road allocated to housing, and several new industrial units proposed for our green spaces rather than on brownfield land.

This Council therefore resolves that the Burnley local Plan as it is currently constituted does not command the support of residents within the borough. This Council should work with the Government in their proposed Planning reforms to ensure that any new developments prioritises disused and/ or empty properties within the Borough, and utilises brownfield land wherever possible.`

Cllr Andy Fewings moved an amendment to the motion which was seconded by Cllr Martyn Hurt that:

`The Burnley Local Plan, brought in by the Labour administration in 2018, has seen significant amounts of our green spaces allocated for development in spite of the strong objections of local residents and the significant number of vacant houses in the Borough.

This has included land off Red Lees Road where 125 homes are now being built, fields behind Smithyfield Avenue and Rossendale Road allocated to housing, Stoneyholme and Clifton Street Recreation ground which is a large ecological diverse and cherished green space owned by this Council and earmarked for development and several new industrial units proposed for our green spaces rather than on derelict sites in need of regeneration.

This Council notes that the Burnley local Plan as it is currently constituted does not command the support of residents within the borough nor the majority of this council chamber. This Council resolves to instruct the CEO to write to the local MP to call on his Government to i) bring forward Planning reforms to ensure that any new developments prioritises tackling the climate emergency by ensuring it is a material planning requirement that all new builds are net zero and of the highest ecological standard and ii) urgently provide full funding to this Council so that it can revise the local plan to take account of the Climate and Ecological Emergency.`

It was resolved to adjourn the meeting for 10 minutes.

The meeting resumed at 6.57pm

On being put to the vote the amendment fell.

Cllr Gordon Birtwistle moved a further amendment to the motion and Cllr Sue Graham seconded the amendment, that: 

`The Burnley Local Plan brought in by the Labour administration in 2018, has seen significant amounts of our green spaces allocated to housing developments in spite of the strong objections of some local residents and the significant number of vacant houses in the Borough. 

This Council notes that the Plan was produced over the preceding 8 years in line with statutory guidance; and asserts that the Plan needs to develop in a fully sustainable way to take account of changing conditions and demand, including the climate change emergency; increasing need for affordable homes to rent and buy; pressures on public transport, health and education services; and the central importance of achieving public support and consent for development.

This has included land off Red Lees Road where 125 homes are now being built, in the Standen Hall area of Briercliffe where 130 new houses are being built, and in fields behind Smithyfield Avenue and Rossendale Road allocated to housing and several new industrial units proposed for our green spaces rather than on brownfield land. 

This Council endorses the current Plan’s “brownfield first” policy and notes that:

(i) 60% of housing sites in the local plan are brownfield sites; 

(ii) According to monitoring reports, 96% of the 1625 new homes completed in Burnley between 2012 and 2020 were on previously developed land, including town centre apartments, conversion of derelict buildings, former school sites and former factory sites; and

(iii) Development on many brownfield sites and older housing areas requires preliminary investment to be suitable for development; and that Government investment in regeneration has been cut, making it more difficult for the Council to promote the use of those sites and vacant homes.

This Council notes that the 2011 Localism Act on which current plans are based makes provision for Neighbourhood Plans which the Department’s research has shown to enable more houses to be built with greater community consent, more affordable housing and added community facilities, and urges the Council’s Executive to use this legislation to increase engagement with communities that will improve the quality of the Local Plan.

This Council therefore notes that the Burnley Local Plan as it is currently constituted does not command the support of some residents within the Borough. 

This Council notes that the substance of the Government’s proposed planning reforms is entirely unclear with the new Secretary of State taking all proposals off the table and a significant number of backbench Conservative MPs urging their Government to drop proposals for central Government to over-ride local voices.

This Council instructs the Leader and Chief Executive to engage with Burnley’s Member of Parliament asking him to work with Conservative Parliamentary colleagues and other interested parties in opposing further centralisation of planning powers aimed at building more houses regardless of local circumstances; and to arrange a meeting with the Housing Minister to promote multi-year levelling-up investment to enable the Council to provide the future homes Burnley needs in the places they are needed, while ensuring the sustainability of development and restoring public confidence in the planning process.`

It was resolved to adjourn the meeting for 10 minutes.

The meeting resumed at 7.35pm

On being put to the vote the amendment was carried.

On being put to the vote the substantive motion was declared to be CARRIED and it was RESOLVED accordingly.