Agenda item

Report No: COU/SE/18/014

Council considered Report No: COU/SE/18/014, which sought approval for a Neighbourhood Plan for Hargrave.

Members noted the background to the development of the Hargrave Neighbourhood Plan, the actions and conditions that must be undertaken / met before the Plan proposal could be “made” (adopted) to become part of the St Edmundsbury Borough Council (or West Suffolk after April 2019) statutory development plan. Together with meeting the basic conditions of neighbourhood planning, as summarised in paragraph 1.2 of the report, the Neighbourhood Plan needed a designated area, and was required to successfully progress through Pre-submission, Submission, Examination and Referendum stages and adhere to the findings of the independent Examiner’s report on the Plan.

The Hargrave Neighbourhood Plan had reached referendum stage. It covered the whole of Hargrave parish and contained land use policies, which subject to the outcome of the referendum, would become part of the St Edmundsbury Borough Council’s (and West Suffolk Councils’ after April 2019), statutory development plan, and a material consideration when determining relevant planning applications. This was in addition to community actions provided in the Plan proposal, which addressed other aspirations of the Parish Council but were not appropriate as planning policies. 

The report provided details on the process undertaken to reach this point, including that the referendum was held on 12 July 2018, which was after the summons and papers for this meeting had been published.  The referendum question was as follows:

“Do you want St Edmundsbury Borough Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Hargrave to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?”

An addendum to the report had been circulated prior to the meeting stating that 88% of those who voted, voted in favour of the referendum question. A turnout of 42% was recorded. The addendum therefore reflected an updated position in respect of the recommendations that were required by Council to consider, as follows:

It is RECOMMENDED that:

(1)     St Edmundsbury Borough Council, “makes” (adopts) the Hargrave Neighbourhood Plan (Referendum version) so that it becomes part of the statutory development plan, and the Plan will become a material consideration within the parish of Hargrave for planning application purposes; and

(2)     gives delegated authority to the Assistant Director (Growth) and the Service Manager (Strategic Planning), to exercise all of the Council’s functions and responsibilities in relation to making the Hargrave Neighbourhood Plan.

Councillor Alaric Pugh, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Growth, drew  relevant issues to the attention of Council, including offering his congratulations to the Hargrave community for their commendable efforts in bringing its Neighbourhood Plan to completion.  This was the first Neighbourhood Plan in St Edmundsbury (and West Suffolk) to reach this final stage in the process and the good turnout for the referendum and positive vote was testament to the hard work of the Hargrave Parish Council’s Neighbourhood Plan Working Group and others involved.

Together with other Members, Councillors Clive Pollington and Mary Evans, Ward Member and Suffolk County Division Councillor respectively acknowledged the tremendous achievement of the Hargrave community for producing an excellent Plan. 

A discussion was held on the proposed reintroduction in the Plan of a settlement boundary for Hargrave, which was intended to allow limited infill development and also the potential for rural exception sites to be developed. Such sites were recognised for providing much needed affordable and/or smaller marketable housing in rural areas, and this policy within the Neighbourhood Plan was therefore supported.

On the motion of Councillor Alaric Pugh, seconded by Councillor John Griffiths, and duly carried it was

RESOLVED:

That:

(1)     the Hargrave Neighbourhood Plan (Referendum version) be “made” (adopted) by St Edmundsbury Borough Council so that it becomes part of the statutory development plan, and the Plan will become a material consideration within the parish of Hargrave for planning application purposes; and

(2)     delegated authority be given to the Assistant Director (Growth) and the Service Manager (Strategic Planning), to exercise all of the Council’s functions and responsibilities in relation to making the Hargrave Neighbourhood Plan.