Agenda item

The Policy and Communities Team Leader presented the report.

• Any issues raised today or at the end of the training last week will be discussed with the Head of Planning.
• The Local Plan Steering Group were very involved and thanked for their considerable input.
• Members are asked to agree the consultation document, Members are not being asked for a response to the document at this stage.  The document is not yet finished, but contains draft proposals.
• Conclusion of this process will be by end of December 2026.
• This document is going out as directed from the Authority.  There are background documents that feed into this.  Strategic Planning Documents (one of which is the Design Guide) have to be reviewed.  This is a 20-year document overtime there will be revisions and iterations over its life.  Broadly indicative of the direction of travel that Authority wants to make.  It is still a draft, need insights from others which will inform the final document.  Currently seeking endorsement that this draft document goes out as it is now and then Members can submit comments. 
• There was concern about the settlement strategy regarding the splitting of the settlements into Larger Villages and Smaller Villages and it was explained that the housing need is broadly related to the population. There shall be a topic paper alongside with all the evidence of how come arrived at the paper conclusions.
• There was concern regarding the listing of the Recreation Hubs. This list is based on research done in the field and there are 2 categories, the obvious ones and then the ones that provide an important role in the landscape.  The top tier would be where there would be improvement to the visitor facilities and the bottom tier would just be about parking and information improvement for example.  It was felt it was not helpful to list the sites and Members would like these lists removed from the consultation and just to have the conditions which would be more flexible and easier for Planning Committee to deal with.
• Members would like a process map of where it goes after consultation.  This would be helpful to Members as a timescale would be good. 

11:45am Cllr Hartshorne left the meeting.

• The structure of how the consultation will happen and the process was discussed.
• Members were encouraged to remember that this is a document that gives a set of policies that have to be applied by planning process, planning committee and at planning appeal and have to fit with national planning guidelines so that they can be enforced. 
• Members requested that the recommendations include one to ensure that the relevant topic papers are reviewed by the Local Plan Working Group.  

The recommendations with the additional recommendation regarding the review of the topic papers were moved, seconded, put to the vote and carried.

Cllr Potter and Cllr Brady abstained from the vote.

RESOLVED:

1. That the Local Plan Preferred Approach consultation document (Appendix 1) be approved for public consultation under Regulation 18 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012, and that any minor changes may be made by the Head of Planning, in consultation with the Local Plan Review Steering Group.

2. That approval of the accompanying Sustainability Appraisal (currently being prepared by consultants) and the Habitats Regulations Assessment Screening Statement (to be prepared by the Landscape and Nature Team) be delegated to the Head of Planning, in consultation with the Local Plan Steering Group, and that these documents are subject to public consultation with the Local Plan Preferred Approach.

3. That the topic papers be reviewed and approved by the Local Plan Working Group.