Agenda item

-        Strategic Director of Environment and Development Services to report.

Councillor Smith, Cabinet Member for Town Centres, Economic Growth and Prosperity, introduced a report by the Strategic Director of Environment and Development Services which summarised the key planning issues raised during the consultation period Monday, 4th July to Friday, 16th September, 2011.

Approval for publication of the Local Development Framework Consultation Feedback Report was sought to provide information to stakeholders and local people and not intended to seek views on the feedback report itself. Further public consultation on the Local Development Framework was programmed for 2012.

Publishing the Feedback Report would provide information to stakeholders and local people setting out the methods of consultation, the key issues raised by consultees and the Council’s response. The actions arising from the consultation would guide the drafting of the publication version of the Core Strategy prior to its submission to Government.  These actions would also guide the further drafting of the Sites and Policies document and assist in the allocation of development sites and/or identification of alternative sites based on community feedback.

The Feedback Report would be published on the Council’s website with hard copies available in local libraries.

Consultation would take place again on the next version of the Plan in 2012 to allow further public scrutiny of proposals before they were submitted to Government. Dialogue with local groups would be maintained and established during the consultation period.

There were no major financial implications arising from this report as the Feedback Report would be made available via the Council’s website.  There would be a small cost associated with printing hard copies of the Feedback Report and placing them in local libraries. This cost would be met from existing budgets.

The timescale for completing the full analysis of the representations received was an uncertainty and could potentially impact on the revisions to the Core Strategy, its Sustainability Appraisal and submission to Government.

The Localism Act had brought in a “presumption in favour of sustainable development” if an adopted development plan was not in place. This could lead to the Council having to grant planning permission for major development contrary to our priorities, aspirations or locational preferences. It was, therefore, imperative that the Council draws up its own Plan in consultation with local people rather than be forced into releasing Green Belt/greenfield land by speculative development. Further transitional guidance was awaited from Government on the timetable for this presumption to come into force.

A failure to achieve timely progress on the Local Development Framework could also delay the spatial strategy required to mediate potentially conflicting aspirations of any neighbourhood plans that may emerge under the provisions of the Localism Act. Under the Act neighbourhood plans have to conform to the Borough-wide Plan – if one was in place.

Failure to make progress with the Local Development Framework risked delayed provision of the new homes and employment opportunities that the Borough desperately needed.

Cabinet Members noted the intention to undertake further public consultation on proposals during 2012.

Resolved:-  That the publication of the Local Development Framework Consultation Feedback Report be approved.