The Cabinet agreed all the recommendations put before them at this meeting. The most significant decisions were to consult on a new version of the Local Plan and to approve a scheme for Waltham Forest Council to directly build new homes in the borough.

Local Plan Consultation

The most significant item at this meeting was a proposal to consult on the next version of the Waltham Forest Local Plan. This plan, which is split into two parts: the Local Plan 1 and the Local Plan 2, is the council's main strategic planning document, and sets out how land in the borough will be used.

The current Local Plan was adopted in 2013 and sets housing targets to be achieved by 2026. The new version will replace these targets with new targets that will need to be met by 2041.

The Local Plan 1, which focuses on the whole borough, was discussed in detail in the report titled Local Plan 2 - Cabinet report. This report explains that the new plan will focus on the climate emergency, meeting housing needs, improving design and sustainability and supporting the growth of businesses in the borough. The document then goes on to explain that:

The Government has recently announced significant changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), some of which are not yet reflected in extant planning guidance. These changes have the potential to significantly impact housing targets at a local level. It is therefore essential that the Council understands these implications at the earliest opportunity

The Cabinet noted that in producing this version of the Local Plan they have:

Considered the Sustainability Appraisal / Environmental Assessment (SA/EA) (including the Habitats Regulations Assessment), Equalities Impact Assessments (EqIAs) for both Local Plan 1 and Local Plan 2 and the Health Impact Assessment

This is a requirement of the The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 which set out the process that local authorities must follow when developing local plans. The regulations are underpinned by the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

You can find the Sustainability Appraisal / Environmental Assessment (SA/EA), the Equalities Impact Assessments (EqIAs) for both Local Plan 1 and Local Plan 2, and the Health Impact Assessment as appendices to the Cabinet papers.

The Cabinet voted to approve the proposed consultation on the Local Plan.

Strategic Sites Delivery Programme

The Cabinet then discussed a proposal to set up a new company, wholly owned by the council, which will oversee the construction of a number of housing developments in the borough. These developments, which were agreed by the council in 2021, will see 1,400 new homes built on council-owned land in the borough, as well as a new school, a commercial unit, and improvements to public spaces at Ferry Lane in Walthamstow and the Ravenswood Estate in Hoe Street.

This proposal is a significant change from the council's previous plans for these sites, which was to find a development partner to work with to deliver the homes. The Cabinet report, which is titled AH Strategic Sites Delivery Programme - Cabinet report states:

The Strategic Sites Delivery Programme (SSDP) was established in 2019 as a Council commitment to deliver c.1,400 new homes, a school, commercial units and improvements to public realm, over a 10 year period across four sites in the Borough. Originally envisaged as a joint venture partnership with a developer, the SSDP delivery model has been reviewed

The Cabinet report goes on to say that:

In response to the changing economic climate the Council took the decision to pause procuring a Joint Venture partner in Autumn 2022 and explore alternative options to accelerate delivery of its housing objectives

The council's housing objectives are set out in the council's Housing Strategy 2019-2029.

The Cabinet voted to approve the recommendations in the report, namely to:

1. Delegate authority to the Director of Housing and Regeneration in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration and the Cabinet Member for Finance and Governance to agree a final business case (which will include details on the final funding requirements).
2. Note the intended procurement route for delivering the SSDP.
3. Delegate authority to the Director of Housing and Regeneration in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration and the Cabinet Member for Finance and Governance to take all operational decisions necessary to progress the SSDP to financial close in accordance with the agreed procurement route

Leyton Mills SPD

The Cabinet discussed a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for the Leyton Mills area of the borough. The SPD, which is a document that provides more detailed guidance on how planning policy should be implemented in a particular area, was developed jointly with the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) who own some of the land in the area. It will set out how the council and the LLDC intend to deliver new homes, jobs, and community facilities in the area.

The LLDC and Leyton Mills SPD - Cabinet Report states:

The Leyton Mills area is identified as a Strategic Regeneration Area (SRA) within the Council’s adopted Local Plan and a Housing Zone within the Council’s adopted Housing Zone SPD (2017).

The Housing Zone SPD is a document that sets out how the council will work with partners to deliver new homes in areas that have been designated as Housing Zones by the Mayor of London. Housing Zones are areas of land that have been identified as having the potential to deliver significant numbers of new homes. The Mayor of London provides funding and support to local authorities to help them deliver new homes in Housing Zones.

The Cabinet report goes on to say:

The Council and LLDC undertook extensive public consultation on the draft Leyton Mills SPD between 14 December 2022 and 28 February 2023. The consultation sought views from local residents, businesses and other interested stakeholders on the vision for the Leyton Mills area and the draft planning policy guidance set out in the SPD.

The Cabinet report notes that a number of representations were received during the consultation period, and summarises how these representations have been taken into account in the final version of the SPD.

The Cabinet voted to approve the recommendations in the report, namely:

(1) Adopts the Leyton Mills Supplementary Planning Document, as set out in Appendix 4 to this report. (2) Agrees to delegate authority to the Director of Planning and Building Control, in consultation with the Portfolio Lead Member for Growth and Economic Development, to publish the adopted Leyton Mills Supplementary Planning Document on the Council’s website.

You can find the consultation report and a summary of the representations received by the council as appendices to the Cabinet papers.

Private Sector Property Licensing

The final substantive item on the agenda was the proposed expansion of the council's borough-wide landlord licensing scheme. The scheme, which was introduced in 2015, requires landlords to obtain a licence from the council before they can rent out their properties.

Landlord licensing schemes are designed to improve the quality of private rented accommodation and to tackle rogue landlords. Landlords who are granted a licence must meet certain standards, such as ensuring that their properties are safe and in a good state of repair. They must also comply with certain obligations, such as providing tenants with gas safety certificates and tenancy agreements.

The council is proposing to expand the scheme to include all privately rented properties in the borough, regardless of their size or the number of tenants living in them. This is known as a borough-wide licensing scheme.

The council is also proposing to change the fees that landlords must pay to obtain a licence. The new fees will be based on the number of bedrooms in a property.

The Private Sector Property Licensing - Cabinet report states that:

The Council undertook a 12-week consultation between 23 January 2023 and 16 April 2023 to seek the views of residents, landlords, tenants and other interested parties on proposals to introduce a new borough-wide licensing scheme to replace the existing scheme.

The Cabinet report goes on to say that:

the Council received 2,974 responses to the consultation questionnaire.

The report goes on to summarise the responses to the consultation.

The Cabinet voted to:

1. Approve the designation of the whole of Waltham Forest as an area subject to a licensing scheme for private rented accommodation under Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004 as amended.
2. Note the findings of the consultation on the proposed borough wide additional licensing scheme.
3. Agree that subject to the outcome of any appeal received, the proposed designation will come into effect on 1st December 2024.

Other items

A number of other items were discussed at the meeting, the most significant of these were:

• Capital and Revenue Outturn 2023-24: The Cabinet received a report on the council's capital and revenue outturn for 2023-24.
• Combatting Serious Violence Mini-Themed Review: The Cabinet received a report on the findings of a mini-themed review into combatting serious violence.