Agenda item

Report No:   CAB/JT/18/017

Portfolio Holders: FHDC Cllr Lance Stanbury       

Lead Officers:  Julie Baird and Marie Smith

RESOLVED:

That:

(1)     the content of the Pre- Submission Consultation Draft Newmarket Neighbourhood Plan as attached at Appendix A to Report No: CAB/JT/18/017, be noted; and

(2)     the Planning Policy response to the Pre-Submission Consultation Draft Newmarket Neighbourhood Plan, as attached at Appendix B and the Corporate Response at Appendix C to Report No: CAB/JT/18/017, be endorsed to form the basis of a submission to Newmarket Town Council. 

The approval of the final wording be delegated to the Assistant Director (Growth) and the Service Manager (Strategic Planning). 

(Councillor Andy Drummond declared a local non-pecuniary interest as a member of the Newmarket Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group. He remained in the meeting but did not vote.)

The Joint Committee considered the above report, which sought approval for proposed consultation responses to the Pre-Submission Consultation Draft Newmarket Neighbourhood Plan.

Members noted the background to the development of the Newmarket Neighbourhood Plan (pre-submission version), and the actions and conditions that must be undertaken / met before the Plan proposal could be “made” (adopted) to become part of the Forest Heath District Council (or West Suffolk after April 2019) statutory development plan. Together with meeting the basic conditions of neighbourhood planning, as summarised in paragraph 1.2.1 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 Newmarket Neighbourhood Plan (NNP), which was being developed by Newmarket Town Council (NTC), had reached Pre-Submission stage. Whilst significant progress had been made by NTC in refining the NNP, concerns had been raised by officers regarding policy content, wording, mapping and whether some of the policies and proposals were based on robust evidence that would stand the test of Examination.

In the absence of Councillor Lance Stanbury, FHDC Portfolio Holder for Planning and Growth, Councillor Alaric Pugh, SEBC Portfolio Holder for Planning and Growth, drew relevant issues to the attention of the Joint Committee, including that whilst it was acknowledged that a significant amount  of work had been undertaken by NTC and its partners to reach this point which was to be commended, the advice of the officers contained in both Appendix B (Planning Policy team) and Appendix C (other services affected by the NNP’s proposals) should be taken on board.  He highlighted issues that would need addressing, as set out in Appendices B and C, and explained that NTC would need to consider all responses to the Pre-Submission consultation, make any amendments they considered appropriate, and submit the revised Neighbourhood Plan (Submission version) to Forest Heath District Council (FHDC) as Local Planning Authority for assessment.  A formal six week consultation would then take place on this version before progression to the Examination stage could be made.

Councillor Pugh added that the new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) had been published that day and would therefore need to be assessed to ascertain whether any revisions to the NPPF would necessitate amendments to the Council’s proposed consultation responses (Appendices B and C) accordingly.  These revisions, if required, could be taken under delegated authority, as set out in Recommendation (2).

Members also noted potential timetabling issues in relation to the NNP proposal progressing through to the Examination, Referendum and “Making” stages as there were potential implications if these were to coincide with the timing of the district/borough/town/parish elections in May 2019.  NTC would therefore be urged to submit the Submission version of the NNP to FHDC either before or after the district/borough/town/parish pre-election (purdah) period.

The Joint Committee considered the consultation responses contained in Appendices B and C were acceptable for submission to NTC, subject to the final wording being agreed under delegated authority.

RESOLVED:

That:

(1)     the content of the Pre- Submission Consultation Draft Newmarket Neighbourhood Plan as attached at Appendix A to Report No: CAB/JT/18/017, be noted; and

(2)     the Planning Policy response to the Pre-Submission Consultation Draft Newmarket Neighbourhood Plan, as attached at Appendix B and the Corporate Response at Appendix C to Report No: CAB/JT/18/017, be endorsed to form the basis of a submission to Newmarket Town Council. 

The approval of the final wording be delegated to the Assistant Director (Growth) and the Service Manager (Strategic Planning).