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Lewes and Eastbourne
Councils

Agenda item

Eastbourne Local Plan - Protecting our Green and Leisure Spaces.

Motion submitted by Councillor Holt:

 

“This Council notes: 

 

·         That the Government requires a Local Plan to be produced.

·         The Government states that Planning Officers have to identify what could be considered viable to the point which meets Government Housing Targets.

·         For Eastbourne, this means 738 homes a year - which with the sea and National Park is unrealistic.

·         Our leisure and green spaces are critical to our tourist economy and local residents’ livelihoods and well being. 

·         That there is a need to build more houses in light of a housing crisis.  

·         That over 4,500 objections have been made to the Local Plan’s identification of Fisherman’s Green, including by Eastbourne Borough Council Leader Councillor David Tutt. 

 

This Council: 

 

·         Thanks those residents who have lodged their own objections, showing the strength of local support to protect valuable green and leisure spaces which have added weight to our own evidence.

·         Calls on the Government to remove its use of unrealistic housing targets. 

·         Calls on the Government to support the communities wish to protect key green spaces when considering how many new homes should be built in the Borough.

·         Calls on the Government to provide reassurances that it will not sanction Eastbourne Borough Council for removing the Fisherman’s Green sitefrom the Local Plan proposal.”

Minutes:

Councillor Holt moved and Councillor Shuttleworth seconded an altered motion in relation to Eastbourne Local Plan – Protecting our Green and Leisure Spaces. Under section 13.4 of the Constitution, the Council gave its consent to a revised motion being tabled as follows:

 

This Council notes: 

·           That the Government requires a Local Plan to be produced.

·           The Government states that Planning Officers have to identify what could be considered viable to the point which meets Government Housing Targets.

·           For Eastbourne, this means 738 homes a year - which with the sea and National Park is unrealistic.

·           Our leisure and green spaces are critical to our tourist economy and local residents’ livelihoods and well being

·           That there is a need to build more houses in light of a housing crisis.  

·           That over 4,500 objections have been made to the Local Plan’s identification of Fisherman’s Green, including by Eastbourne Borough Council Leader Councillor David Tutt. 

 This Council: 

·           Thanks those residents who have lodged their own objections, showing the strength of local support to protect valuable green and leisure spaces which have added weight to our own evidence.

·           Welcomes the statement made by Rt Hon Michael Gove in the House of Commons that “Eastbourne Borough Council can remove Fisherman’s Green from the Local Plan without incurring any sanctions”

·           Recognises that by implication this statement means that Local Authorities are at liberty to remove any sensitive sites from their Local Plan without incurring any sanctions.

·           That in light of this change in the position of Government this Council resolves to withdraw Fisherman’s Green from the draft Local Plan and recommend to Cabinet withdrawing other sensitive sites. “

 

Councillor Smart moved and Councillor di Cara seconded an amendment to the motion, so that the motion would read as follows:

 

This Council notes: 

·           That the Government requires a Local Plan to be produced.

·           Our leisure and green spaces are critical to our tourist economy and local residents’ livelihoods and wellbeing.

·           That there is a need to build more houses in light of a housing crisis. 

·           That over 4,500 objections have been made to the Local Plan’s identification of Fisherman’s Green.

 

This Council: 

·           Thanks those residents who have lodged their own objections, showing the strength of local support to protect valuable green and leisure spaces.

·           Thanks the Secretary of State for confirming that the decision to develop Fisherman’s Green is the Council’s alone.”

 

The public speaker, Fiona Mullen (Royal Parade Against Fisherman's Green Seafront Housing Development Group, and originator of the petition in relation to Fisherman's Green) spoke in relation to the matter for 3 minutes.

 

The Council debated the motion and the amendment together.

 

The amendment proposed by Councillor Smart was put to a vote and lost by 7 for, 13 against, with 2 abstentions.  

 

The altered motion as proposed by Councillor Holt was put to a vote and carried by 14 votes for, 0 against, with 8 abstentions.

 

RESOLVED (by 14 to 0 with 8 abstentions) that:

 

This Council notes: 

 

·                That the Government requires a Local Plan to be produced.

·                The Government states that Planning Officers have to identify what could be considered viable to the point which meets Government Housing Targets.

·                For Eastbourne, this means 738 homes a year - which with the sea and National Park is unrealistic.

·                Our leisure and green spaces are critical to our tourist economy and local residents’ livelihoods and well being

·                That there is a need to build more houses in light of a housing crisis.  

·                That over 4,500 objections have been made to the Local Plan’s identification of Fisherman’s Green, including by Eastbourne Borough Council Leader Councillor David Tutt. 

 

 This Council: 

·                Thanks those residents who have lodged their own objections, showing the strength of local support to protect valuable green and leisure spaces which have added weight to our own evidence.

·                Welcomes the statement made by Rt Hon Michael Gove in the House of Commons that “Eastbourne Borough Council can remove Fisherman’s Green from the Local Plan without incurring any sanctions”

·                Recognises that by implication this statement means that Local Authorities are at liberty to remove any sensitive sites from their Local Plan without incurring any sanctions.

·                That in light of this change in the position of Government this Council resolves to withdraw Fisherman’s Green from the draft Local Plan and recommend to Cabinet withdrawing other sensitive sites.