Decision

Cabinet:

(1)            adopted the Residential Alterations and Retrofit Supplementary Planning Document (Appendix 1 to the report);

(2)            authorised the Corporate Director of Regeneration, Planning & Strategic Property to make any further typographical or graphic amendments necessary to the Residential Alterations and Retrofit Supplementary Planning Document prior to its publication; and

(3)            revoked the Residential Extensions and Alterations Supplementary Planning Document (Appendix 5 to the report) upon the adoption of the Residential Alterations and Retrofit Supplementary Planning Document.

Options & Alternatives Considered

The alternative option would be to do nothing (i.e. not to adopt the SPD). Under this scenario, planning applications for home extensions and alterations would continue to be determined against Local Plan policies alone and the existing out of date SPD, without the benefit of the detailed design guidance, retrofit advice and household scale clarity provided by the new SPD. This would reduce certainty for applicants and decisionmakers, particularly in relation to topics not addressed within the existing 2010 SPD—such as low carbon retrofit measures, guidance on air source heat pumps, outbuildings, water efficiency improvements, biodiversity and garden design.