Agenda item

Report No: LOP/FH/16/004

(Report No LOP/FH/16/004)

The Strategic Planning Manager presented this report which explained that the Core Strategy Single Issue Review (CS SIR) revisited the quashed parts of the 2010 Core Strategy as well as reassessing overall housing need/numbers to ensure compliance with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).  An 'Issues and Options' (Regulation 18) consultation was completed on the Core Strategy SIR in July to September 2012, with a second Issues and Options (Regulation 18) consultation taking place between August and October 2015.

An Issues and Options draft of the Site Allocations Local Plan (SALP) was prepared but did not proceed to consultation in 2013.  A Further Issues and Options (Regulation 18) draft was completed, and consultation took place concurrently with the SIR between August and October 2015.

A first draft of an Infrastructure Development Plan (IDP) was prepared to accompany the Issues and Options consultation drafts of both the Single Issue Review (SIR) of Core Strategy Policy CS7 – Overall Housing Provision and Distribution, and the Site Allocations Local Plans.  The IDP would be updated and refined as the local plan documents progress through the planning process (to the Preferred Options and Submission draft stages).  Consultation took place on this first draft of the IDP concurrently with the Regulation 18 consultations on the SIR and SALP between August and October 2015.

Working Papers 1, 2 and 3 of Report No LOP/FH/16/004 set out summaries of all the responses received to the SIR, SALP and IDP documents that were the subject of an eight week consultation period between August and October 2015, together with Officer responses and comments and/or actions on each.

There were a total of 364 representations (of support, objection, or comments) from 98 respondents to the Core Strategy Single Issue Review of CS7; 893 representations on the Site Allocations Local Plan Further Issues and Options document from 133 respondents; 11 people responded to the Draft Infrastructure Delivery Plan submitting 46 representations.

Responses to all three documents had been received from statutory consultees, such as the Environment Agency, Historic England, Natural England etc., town and parish councils, interest groups, and individual residents and landowners.

Consultation responses to the Sustainability Appraisal and the Habitats Regulations Assessment would be considered by the Council’s Consultants preparing these documents and would be addressed as part of the next iteration of each of these documents.

Following approval by Cabinet on 1 March 2016, of the final CS SIR and SALP consultation documents, the design and printing of the documents would take a further few weeks and, therefore, the consultation was planned to be held from 4 April 2016 until 8 June 2016. Comments received during this next consultation will be considered and brought back to the Local Plan Working Group before being fed into the final consultations for both the Site Allocations and Core Strategy Single Issue Review in late summer/autumn 2016. Submission of the documents for independent examination would follow in December 2016.

The Working Group then considered the responses, comments and actions as set out in Working Papers 1, 2 3 of the report and recommended that these be endorsed.

With the vote being unanimous, it was

          RECOMMENDED: (Cabinet: 1 March 2016)

          That:-

1.           The consultation responses to the Core Strategy Single Issue Review (CS SIR), Site Allocations Local Plan (SALP) and Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP).

2.           The comments and actions contained in Working Papers 1, 2 and 3 of Report No LOP/FH/16/004 be endorsed.