Issue - meetings

Report of the Head of Planning and Infrastructure

The Planning Policy Team Manager presented the report to members. He advised the Committee that over the past months, draft objectives had been considered at meetings of Cabinet as well as this Committee and that all bar one of the objectives had been agreed with the only outstanding matter being the wording of Objective 4, which related to sustainable transport. Following the last meeting of the Committee, some suggested alternative wording has been formulated which members were now being asked to confirm following the approval of Cabinet.  Subject to the Committee’s decision, the agreed set of draft objectives will be included in the next stage of public consultation on the Substantive Local Plan Review.

Councillor Legrys, from whom the suggestion to amend the wording of this objective had originally stemmed, was pleased that compromise wording had been agreed for Objective 4 but he asked that time be allocated to provide clear and concise explanations of what the objectives mean and that they be explained in a user friendly and meaningful manner. He felt that this would help members when responding to queries from the public. The Planning Policy Team Manager advised that the objectives were very high level and work would follow on agreeing the policies and ensuring they fulfilled the criteria set out within them. In response to this, a member referred to an earlier request for a framework of issues and the date by which they would be considered, as this had yet to be received by members and he considered that such a timetable would be helpful to the Committee.   The Planning Policy Team Manager was also asked for an idea of the timeframe for when the next consultation was due to happen and details of other aspects of the review, which would be included in this round of consultation. He was also asked how the Plan would tackle the issue of air quality, particularly given the recent decision of Cabinet to provide a Supplementary Planning Document on air quality in the coming years.

The Planning Policy Team Manager responded to these issues by advising that air quality was already included as part of the Plan but this would be reviewed and amended as necessary, and a Supplementary Planning Document will be compiled following the decision of Cabinet noting that this document on its own will not dictate policy but it will offer guidance on procedures. He advised that he anticipated the next round of consultation to be in the early part of next year and, in relation to the questions relating to content and timetabling of the Plan, it was noted that these would be addressed as part of the following agenda item.

It was moved by Councillor D Bigby, seconded by Councillor N Smith and

RESOLVED THAT

The Local Plan Committee notes the revised wording of draft Objective 4, as set out at paragraph 1.8 of the report, for inclusion in the next consultation stage of the Substantive Local Plan Review.