THAT the Council submits representations to the Panel Secretary generally supporting the Phase Two Revision subject to:

1.         The Spatial Strategy should include further recognition of the infrastructure requirements at Hereford if growth is to be achieved; the peripheral expansion of market towns, and their service centre role for their rural hinterlands; and the need to plan for the renaissance of the region’s remoter rural areas in a way which sustains their social, economic and environmental character;

2.         Policy CF2 should be amended to recognise that growth may only be capable of being accommodated in some settlements of significant development if infrastructure constraints are removed.  The recognition in para. 6.21 in respect of meeting housing needs in smaller settlements is welcomed;

3.         In respect of policy CF3:

a)      the total provision of 16,600 dwellings for Herefordshire be supported;

b)     the identification of Hereford as a settlement of significant development be supported as reflecting the Council’s Growth Point partnership with Government for the delivery of housing growth;

c)      the provision for Hereford (8,300 dwellings) be expressed as a maxima, recognising that at present the extent to which Hereford can accommodate new development is limited and that the practical achievement of these levels of growth will be dependent on suitable transport and other infrastructure provision, as well as other factors;

d)     following consideration of the distribution of growth within the County in the Local Development Framework Core Strategy and the Hereford Area Action Plan, dwellings which cannot be accommodated within or adjacent to Hereford be directed to the rest of the County in accordance with the principles in policy CF2;  

4.         The affordable housing targets in policy CF7 be re-assessed in the light of the emerging Housing Market Assessment for the West Housing Market Area;

5.         Policy CF10 be supported and further recognise that in rural areas there are also considerations such as the relatively high proportion of small sites in the overall housing supply; 

6.         The comparison retail floorspace requirements set out in policy PA12A be supported, with the retail assessment work being undertaken as part of the Local Development Framework offering the opportunity to refine the Phase Two Revision figures at Examination if necessary to ensure suitable provision is made for Hereford city centre;

7.         The office development requirement for Hereford in policy PA13A be supported;      

8.         The revisions to the waste policies be supported, subject to clarification of the implications of the existing joint arrangements for the principle that each waste planning authority should plan to manage an equivalent tonnage of waste arising within their boundary;

9.                  The continuing recognition of the need to implement the package of measures identified in the Hereford Transport Review be supported, so as to allow Hereford to fulfill its role as a Settlement of Significant Development; and   

10.              The sustainable regional policies which include that of climate change be supported.