Agenda item

Report number:     CAB/WS/23/056

Portfolio holder: Councillor Jim Thorndyke

Lead officers: Julie Baird and Marie Smith

(See separate supplement pack for Appendix A which contains the proposed West Suffolk Local Plan Submission 2024 document itself – available to view electronically on the Council’s website here. Paper copies available upon request.)

Recommended to Council:

(19 December 2023)

That:

1.       The West Suffolk Local Plan Proposed Submission (Regulation 19) document (Appendix A to Report number: CAB/WS/23/056), together with supporting documents be approved for public consultation and its subsequent submission to the Secretary of State for the purposes of independent examination.  

2.       Delegated authority be given to the Director (Planning and Growth), in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning to make any presentational improvements or minor non-material consequential changes to the document as necessary prior to the consultation commencing.

3.       Delegated authority be given to the Director (Planning and Growth), in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning, to agree and consult upon a set of proposed modifications during the examination process.

The Cabinet considered this report, which was recommending to Council, approval of the West Suffolk Local Plan Proposed Submission (Regulation 19) document, together with supporting documents, for consultation.

Approval of the Proposed Submission Local Plan and Policies Map would allow the Local Plan to be subject to its final round of consultation (scheduled for 30 January 2024 to 5 March 2024); and if approved and following consultation, the Local Plan would be submitted to the Secretary of State for the purpose of independent examination.

The final West Suffolk Local Plan Regulation 19 consultation would be focused on the whether the plan was a ‘legally compliant’ and ‘sound’ document. This was a technical consultation which would ask the public and stakeholders specific questions required by the Planning Inspectorate and required that representations consider whether the tests of soundness had been met.

Councillor Jim Thorndyke, Portfolio Holder for Planning, drew relevant issues to the attention of Cabinet, including paying tribute to the Local Plan Working Group for their contributions towards shaping the Plan. Upon moving the recommendations, Councillor Thorndyke made an amendment to Recommendation (3) so that it read, as indicated with strikethrough:

‘Delegated authority be given to the Director (Planning and Growth), in consultation with the Portfolio Holder the ability to agree and consult upon a set of proposed modifications during the examination process (most likely at the very end of the examination process), if asked by the Inspector to do so.’

This amendment would remove a potential time constraint. The recommendations, as amended, were duly seconded by Councillor Richard O’Driscoll.

The debate ensued with positive comments particularly made on the key policies set out in paragraph 2.7 of the report. Members specifically commended the new health and wellbeing policy, which proposed that linking the design and delivery of homes to health and wellbeing set out the Council’s intention to deliver growth for the benefit of people; and the policy which proposed an increase of the current requirement of 30 percent affordable homes to 40 percent affordable housing on greenfield sites to deliver much needed homes for West Suffolk’s communities.  

Councillor Cliff Waterman, Leader of the Council, also thanked the Local Plan Working Group, which comprised members from across the Council’s political spectrum, for their thorough input and detailed discussion on the various elements of the Plan. Recognition was then given to the public and stakeholders who had made representations as part of previous consultations; and to officers for their sterling work in supporting the process in order to reach this point.

Councillor Victor Lukaniuk, Deputy Leader of the Council and one of the ward members for Brandon, was pleased that despite the environmental constraints which limited growth in the town, provision had been made in the Plan whereby the Council would use its best endeavours to achieve a solution to successfully deliver sustainable growth in Brandon whilst working within the current constraints.

The Cabinet considered that the West Suffolk Local Plan Proposed Submission (Regulation 19) document was both final and sound and that, subject to the outcome of the independent examination, members felt the Local Plan and supporting documentation should be approved for public consultation and its subsequent submission to the Secretary of State for the purposes of independent examination.

Recommended to Council: (19 December 2023)

That:

1.       The West Suffolk Local Plan Proposed Submission (Regulation 19) document (Appendix A to Report number: CAB/WS/23/056), together with supporting documents be approved for public consultation and its subsequent submission to the Secretary of State for the purposes of independent examination.  

2.       Delegated authority be given to the Director (Planning and Growth), in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning to make any presentational improvements or minor non-material consequential changes to the document as necessary prior to the consultation commencing.

3.       Delegated authority be given to the Director (Planning and Growth), in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning, to agree and consult upon a set of proposed modifications during the examination process.