Agenda item

To update the Joint Committee on the emerging approach to stewardship at TCBGC. This report:

 

·      proposes a set of Emerging Stewardship Principles that articulates the Councils’ ambition for aspirational stewardship at the Garden Community;

·      sets out how a pathway to evolving stewardship arrangements will be followed as part of the planning process of the Garden Community;

·      summarises the work that has already been undertaken on stewardship matters to date including feedback from consultation; and

·      sets out the policy context of Section 1 of the Councils’ Local Plans and the approach being taken as part of the Development Plan Document (DPD).

 

The Joint Committee had before it a comprehensive report (A.2) which updated it on the emerging approach to stewardship at TCBGC and which proposed:-

 

·      proposed a set of Emerging Stewardship Principles that articulated the Councils’ ambition for aspirational stewardship at the Garden Community;

·      set out how a pathway to evolving stewardship arrangements would be followed as part of the planning process of the Garden Community;

·      summarises the work that had already been undertaken on stewardship matters to date including feedback from consultation; and

·      set out the policy context of Section 1 of the Councils’ Local Plans and the approach being taken as part of the Development Plan Document (DPD).

 

The report was introduced by Christopher Downes, (Garden Communities Manager, Essex County Council).

 

The Joint Committee was aware that stewardship was an essential element of what would make the Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community (TCBGC) a successful and flourishing place. Reflecting the importance of stewardship to the overall TCBGC ambition, Section 1 of the shared Local Plans and the draft DPD included specific policy provision on stewardship, thus setting a policy context for the future design and establishment of detailed stewardship arrangements as the Garden Community progressed through the planning system.

 

It was considered that agreeing a set of Emerging Stewardship Principles at this stage of the planning process would ensure that clarity was provided to all stakeholders, including the Councils, local communities and community groups, the developers, and other parties likely to be impacted by future stewardship arrangements.

 

This set of principles could then be used to inform discussions with those stakeholders to ensure all parties work towards a common aim. It could also be used to inform any Memorandum of Understanding with the developers of TCBGC as part of the Examination in Public of the DPD.

 

Members were informed that, as the detailed planning of the Garden Community progresses, so would the detailed planning of its stewardship arrangements. Given the interrelationship between the physical place (land uses, facilities, infrastructure, utilities, etc) and the way that that physical place was managed and maintained in the long-term, it would be essential that the two progressed in tandem. An indicative pathway for evolving stewardship arrangements would demonstrate how such a process would be followed.

 

The Officer report focussed on the following matters:-

 

(a)    Emerging Stewardship Principles, namely:-

 

(i)      Quality of Place;

(ii)     Community assets;

(iii)   Community identity and cohesion;

(iv)   Professionalism and entrepreneurship;

(v)    Financial sustainability;

(vi)   Accountability and governance; and an

(vii)  Incremental Approach.

 

(b)    A pathway for evolving stewardship arrangements at TCBGC

 

(c)    Community and stakeholder engagement on stewardship since Section 1 adoption

 

(d)    Stewardship in the Development Plan Document; and

 

(e)    Next steps on stewardship.

 

Pursuant to the provisions of the Public Speaking Scheme for the Joint Committee, the following persons addressed the Joint Committee on the subject matter of this item. Their comments are given in precis.

 

Russ Edwards (Project Director TCBGC – Latimer by Clarion Housing Group)

 

·      Reinforced Latimer’s commitments in this area. Confirmed that Latimer supported all of the stewardship principles;

·      Reminded Members that Latimer was the development arm of Clarion Housing Group, the UK's largest landlord, that provided homes for more than 350,000 people and operated in over 170 Local Authority areas. Latimer had been around for more than 100 years and provided homes for those most in need in society. They were long-term members of the communities in which they operated and this new community would be no different;

·      This long-term opportunity was the reason for Latimer’s involvement and excitement. Latimer along with Clarion Housing Association and its Charitable Foundation, Clarion Futures, would be long-term partners and stewards. Latimer expected to directly deliver around two-thirds of the homes in this new community throughout the development life cycle of the project, which could be up to 30 years. Clarion Housing Association would own and operate all of the affordable homes delivered in the new community, at least 30 percent of those homes, including those homes delivered by third parties on service parcels and that ownership and operation would be in perpetuity. Clarion Futures ran one of the country's biggest social investment programs, generating more than £100 million in social value every year. Clarion Futures currently managed a portfolio of around 50 community assets on behalf of the communities in which they were located, and expected that to be the case here. Therefore, the quality and success of the place was ‘mission critical’ to Latimer which took its responsibilities very seriously;

·      Recognised that this community would be special and would require careful consideration to make sure that the best possible strategy for stewardship was delivered. Latimer would want to tailor a bespoke solution. Ultimately, the strategy would evolve and grow and change as the community grew over the coming decades. It needed to empower and embolden future residents to be involved in their place creating a strong and cohesive community. To achieve this the strategy would need to be linked to the design of the place and the assets that would form a key part of it. For those reasons Latimer expected the final strategy to only be established once the design process was completed. Notwithstanding this Latimer were hoping to prepare a hybrid planning application for submission next year with a developed stewardship strategy, a key part of that application. Therefore, the Joint Committee would have opportunities to review and influence those proposals as they developed and indeed would have the ultimate sign-off through the planning application process; and

·      Concluded that Latimer and Clarion housing group were long-term stakeholders and stewards in this new place, and shared the Members’, officers’ and communities’ interests in ensuring that strategies were in place to ensure its long-term success in line with garden city principles.

 

Rachel Fletcher, Parish Clerk, on behalf of Ardleigh Parish Council

 

·      Believed that the existing parish and other Council boundaries were almost inevitably going to have to change, as a result and wondered whether that came within stewardship. The Parish Council would want to be explicitly part of the future discussions. There were parish residents who had expressed a desire to stay within Ardleigh so the Parish Council was very keen to be involved and have an active role.

 

Ian Davidson, Chief Executive (Tendring District Council) responded to the points made by Rachel Fletcher as follows:-

 

·      Agreed that this was a really important question but stated that there were a number of different ways which, in theory, a review could be stimulated, but one of the key things was that there would be consultation and it was a statutory requirement to consult with any Parish Council and community which would be affected.

 

Christopher Downes, (Garden Communities Manager, Essex County Council) also responded to the points made by Rachel Fletcher as follows:-

 

·      Referred to the example of a new garden community in the Chelmsford area where a new parished area was being created and that this would provide a good example of the level of engagement that would be required.

 

The Joint Committee then discussed and debated this matter. Members’ comments are recorded below in precis.

 

Councillor Lesley Wagland (ECC)

 

·      Welcomed the comments and commitment of Latimer;

·      Thanked Ardleigh Parish Council for raising the important issue of governance which would come up in the future for the garden community; and

·      Referred to the thorny issue of management company arrangements and rent service charges, which could cause unsuspecting residents a lot of problems and stress and pointed out that the Chelmsford Garden Community had avoided such problems through its policy decisions.

 

Councillor Andrea Luxford-Vaughan (CCC)

 

·      Welcomed the progress on this matter but asked if Section 1 of the Local Plan required this to be part of the DPD and, if so, whether there was sufficient time to get this done before the Regulation 19 public consultation; and

·      Pointed out that if Ardleigh Parish Council had Crockleford Heath taken away from it then it would lose out on precepts and income.

 

Amy Lester, Garden Community Planning Manager (Tendring District Council) responded to the points made by Councillor Luxford-Vaughan as follows:-

 

·      Confirmed that matters relating to the setting up of a stewardship body did not have to be agreed at the DPD level.

 

Christopher Downes, (Garden Communities Manager, Essex County Council) also responded to the points made by Councillor Luxford-Vaughan as follows:-

 

·      All the arrangements around the stewardship body were up for discussion and a future decision but he felt it would be wise to make use of Latimer’s knowledge at this stage.

 

Councillor Mike Bush (TDC)

 

·      Stated that it would be good for the Joint Committee to have details of Latimer’s stewardship models at some stage.

 

Councillor Nick Turner (TDC)

 

·      Stated that, in due course, the Joint Committee would visit other places established on garden community principles such as Letchworth and Milton Keynes.

 

Councillor David King (CCC)

 

·      Stated that he favoured the co-operative approach to stewardship.

 

It was moved by Councillor Bray, seconded by Councillor Cunningham and:-

 

RESOLVED that the Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community Joint Committee –

 

1)     notes the emerging approach to stewardship set out in report A.2; and

 

2)     approves the Emerging Stewardship Principles as the foundation for future stewardship planning.