Agenda item

Report from the Strategic Director for Regeneration and Environment.

Recommendations:

1. That Cabinet approves the adoption of the Supplementary Planning Documents at Appendices 1 to 5.

2. That Cabinet approves delegation to the Strategic Director for Regeneration and Environment, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Jobs and the Local Economy, to amend and republish the Biodiversity Net Gain SPD if so required, to ensure conformity with the anticipated publication of Government regulations and guidance (paragraph 5.2 refers).

Consideration was given to the report which sought approval to adopt the following Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD):

·       Developer Contributions

·       Biodiversity Net Gain

·       Trees

·       Preparing a Soils Strategy

·       Development in the Green Belt (Revised)

Rotherham’s Local Plan provided the framework for determining planning applications. Supplementary Planning Documents provided additional detail and guidance to support policies in the Local Plan. Once adopted, they were a material consideration to be taken into account when determining planning applications.

Supplementary Planning Documents help improve planning applications, which in turn could speed up the planning process and produce better outcomes for the community.

It was clarified that the final Government guidance on the Biodiversity Net Gain was still to be published, therefore that particular SPD may need some minor amendments to ensure conformity with Government regulations, which was why the delegation has been sought within the recommendations.

Resolved:

1.    That Cabinet approved the adoption of the Supplementary Planning Documents at Appendices 1 to 5.

2.    That Cabinet approved delegation to the Strategic Director for Regeneration and Environment, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Jobs and the Local Economy, to amend and republish the Biodiversity Net Gain SPD if so required, to ensure conformity with the anticipated publication of Government regulations and guidance (paragraph 5.2 refers).