Agenda item

-    Strategic Director of Environment and Development Services to report.

Please note:  a copy of the consultation arrangements and the supplementary papers are available in Reception in the Eric Manns Building.

Councillor Smith, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Environment, introduced a report by the Strategic Director of Environment and Development Services, which sought approval for public consultation on the Local Development Framework (LDF).

The consultation planned for Summer 2011 would cover both the LDF Strategy in terms of the broad amount and distribution of growth and the detail in terms of initial consultation on potential development sites around all the borough’s communities.

The report set out in detail the consultation response, how the strategy would focus on the potential development sites in each local community and the vision for the future of Rotherham through the Draft Core Strategy.

There were no direct financial implications arising from this report although the consultation planned for Summer 2011 would increase pressure on the Forward Planning Team’s budget. Corporate assistance with the consultation exercise had been approved and officers from relevant services would be assisting with the consultation.

The supplementing of media relations activity with more direct communication should be considered. Investment in channels such as direct mail may be necessary to ensure adequate levels of communication and engagement. Previous criticisms have included a perceived lack of information about the consultation.

The Localism Bill would bring in a “presumption in favour of sustainable development” should an adopted development plan not be in place by the end of 2012. This could lead to the Council having to grant planning permission for major (greenfield) development contrary to its priorities, aspirations or locational preferences.

A failure to achieve timely progress on the LDF could delay the spatial strategy which was required to guide future decision-making on planning applications and may hinder the Council’s ability to mediate potentially conflicting aspirations of any neighbourhood plans that may emerge under the provisions of the Localism Bill.

The ongoing legal challenges to the Government’s intention to revoke regional strategies and the targets they contain could have implications for the strategy. On the one hand the Council may be challenged for consulting on a lower housing target before regional strategies were formally revoked.  On the other if there was a delay there was a risk of not having a plan in place by the end of 2012 and, therefore, being at risk of speculative development in inappropriate locations. On balance, the need to progress outweighed the risk of challenge. To further mitigate this risk the Council would consult now on a lower target in our “draft” plan, but would not formally “submit” the Core Strategy to Government until after the Localism Bill had been passed and regional strategies were revoked.

Failure to make progress with the LDF risked delayed provision of the new homes and employment opportunities that the borough needed.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the Draft Core Strategy and the Sites and Policies Issues and Options documents for public consultation be approved.

(2)  That the timetable at Table 1 to achieve adoption of the Core Strategy by the end of 2012 be approved.

(3)  That the LDF Consultation and Engagement Action Plan Summary be endorsed.