Agenda item

Report No: LOP/FH/16/011

(Report No: LOP/FH/16/011)

The Principal Planning Officer 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 CS SIR in July to September 2012, with a second Issues and Options (Regulation 18) consultation taking place between August and October 2015. A Preferred Option consultation was completed between April and July 2016 (Regulation 18).

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 and again between April and July 2016 (Regulation 18).

A second draft of an Infrastructure Development Plan (IDP) was prepared to accompany the Preferred Option(s) consultation drafts of both the CS SIR, and the SALP.  The IDP would be updated and refined as the Local Plan documents progressed through the planning process (to the Submission draft stage).  Consultation took place on this second draft of the IDP concurrently with the Regulation 18 consultations on the SIR and SALP between April and July 2016.

Paragraph 155 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) advised:

“Early and meaningful engagement and collaboration with neighbourhoods, local organisations and businesses is essential. A wide section of the community should be proactively engaged, so that Local Plans, as far as possible, reflect a collective vision and a set of agreed priorities for the sustainable development of the area, including those contained in any neighbourhood plans that have been made.”

The accompanying guidance in the National Planning Practice Guidance (NPPG) noted that “Section 18 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 required local planning authorities to produce a Statement of Community Involvement, which should explain how they would engage local communities and other interested parties in producing their Local Plan and determining planning applications.”

The Forest Heath and St Edmundsbury Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) was adopted in February 2014.  The SCI contained a statement of intent to engage with our communities – part of a wider commitment made by the Councils to create and maintain effective working relationships with all sectors of the community.  The document set out the key stages in preparing a local plan document, and the protocols that all local authorities must follow.  The SCI stated the Councils’ intention to go well beyond the minimum requirements for consultation.  The ‘Issues and Options’ stage concludes, “we must take into account any representations made to us at this ‘Issues and Options’ stage.”

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.  There were a total of 152 representations (of support, objection or comments) from 51 respondents to the Core Strategy Single Issue Review Preferred Options document; 418 representations on the Site Allocations Local Plan Preferred Options document from 87 respondents; 20 representations on the draft Infrastructure Delivery Plan from 7 respondents.  Working Papers 1, 2 and 3 of Report No: LOP/FH/16/011 set out summaries of all of the responses received, together with Officer responses and comments and/or actions on each.

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.

The final Submission documents would be taken for approval for consultation and submission to Cabinet on 13 December 2016 and Council on 21 December 2016.  As the design and printing of the documents would take a further few weeks, following the Council meeting, the consultation was planned to take place from 10 January 2017 to 21 February 2017.

Comments received during this final consultation would be submitted directly to the Secretary of State with the Local Plan documents for consideration through a Local Plan Examination.  It was anticipated that submission of these documents would take place in early March 2017.  However, should any factors arise which could cause delay and which were beyond the Council’s control, a further meeting of the Working Group would be arranged to outline options for the progressing of the Single Issue Review and any consequential impact on the Local Plan timetable itself.

The Working Group considered and noted the responses, comments and actions as set out in Working Paper 1 (Core Strategy Policy CS7 Single Issue Review), Working Paper 2 (Site Allocations Local Plan Preferred Options) and Working Paper 3 (Draft Infrastructure Delivery Plan).  In particular, in relation to Working Paper 2, the Group recommended the following amendment:

·         Representations 24341 (page 66) and 24342 (page 69) (The Trustees of the E G Lambton 1974 Settlement) (Site N/18 George Lambton Playing Fields)

     The following sentence be deleted under the Council’s Assessment:

“In addition, as located off Fordham Road, development of this large site is likely to raise similar concerns to those recently upheld by the SoS for the development of Hatchfield Farm.”

With the vote being unanimous, it was

RECOMMENDED:

                   That:-

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

2.       The responses, comments and actions as set out in Working Paper 1 to Report No: LOP/FH/16/011 (Core Strategy Policy CS7 Single Issue Review), Working Paper 2 (Site Allocations Local Plan Preferred Options) and Working Paper 3 (Draft Infrastructure Delivery Plan) be endorsed, subject to the following amendment to Working Paper 2:

·                     Representations 24341 (page 66) and 24342 (page 69) (The Trustees of the E G Lambton 1974 Settlement) (Site N/18 George Lambton Playing Fields)

The following sentence be deleted under the ‘Council’s Assessment’:

“In addition, as located off Fordham Road, development of this large site is likely to raise similar concerns to those recently upheld by the SoS for the development of Hatchfield Farm.”

3.       The Head of Planning and Growth, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Growth and the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Local Plan Working Group, be authorised to make any minor typographical, factual, spelling and grammatical changes to the Officer responses.