Issue - meetings

Head of Planning and Infrastructure

The Planning Policy Team Manager presented the report to members. He took the report in two parts, commencing first with the issues around the Partial Review.

He reported that the hearing sessions at the Examination concluded on 17 September 2020, and at the end of the hearing sessions, officers were requested by the Inspector to prepare a number of main modifications that arose from the various discussions, which took place.

The Inspector asked the Council to undertake consultation on these main modifications and these were published for a 6-week consultation period starting on 30 November 2020. The consultation closes on 10 January 2021. Following the close of the consultation, officers will go through the responses and prepare a schedule for the Inspector. In the event that the Inspector recommends that the revised Local Plan can be adopted this will then be subject to a report to Council for adoption.

A member sought clarification on the references to the Use Classes, and specifically where these had changed, and asked why the specific change of Use Class was not referenced and asked if there were any substantial differences between them and which of the definitions would apply in the Local Plan once the modifications have been agreed. Another member was concerned about the timing of the consultation, given that it was over the Christmas period, access to the consultation and the methodology for responding.  

The Planning Policy Team Manager advised that he was not aware of any change to the definition but the Use Classes have been amended to include more Use types. He acknowledged the unfortunate timing of the consultation and confirmed that responses could be submitted in writing or by email and that the on line form was for ease of access to those who wished to use this platform. The Chairman also offered to collate responses and offered this as an additional vehicle for responding to the consultation and urged fellow councillors to spread the word in their communities to encourage participation.    

The Planning Policy Team Manager went on to report on the Substantive Review. In response to issues raised by members earlier in the meeting, he advised that the timetable for the Substantive Review would be reliant on the modifications from the Partial Review.  The proposed modifications require submission of the Substantive Review to the Secretary of State within 18 months of whichever is the earliest of a Statement of Common Ground (SoCG) being agreed or 21 May 2021. There is no firm timetable for the agreement of the SoCG, but it is considered unlikely that this would happen before the end of February 2021 at the earliest. On this basis, submission of the Substantive Review would be required by the end of August 2022. If a SoCG is not agreed or slips significantly, then submission of the Substantive Review would be required by 21 November 2022 (i.e. 18 months on from 21 May 2021). It was acknowledged that this a very tight and challenging timetable.

A member  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25