Agenda item

Agenda item

Charnwood Local Plan Pre-submission Consultation and Submission

A report of the Head of Planning and Regeneration, for recommendation to Council.

 

Key Decision

Minutes:

Considered, a report of the Head of Planning and Regeneration seeking approval for the publication of the Pre-Submission (Regulation 19) version of the Charnwood Local Plan (2021-2037) and its supporting documents for public consultation and recommending that Council submit the Local Plan and its amended supporting documents to the Secretary of State for an Examination in Public (item 6 on the agenda filed with these minutes).

 

Also considered, a supplementary report setting out proposed amendments to the above Pre-Submission version of the Local Plan to reflect changes in Government policy on affordable housing and First Homes (copy filed with these minutes).

 

Councillor Seaton, Chair of the Scrutiny Commission, presented a report setting out the Commission’s pre-decision scrutiny of the report of the Head of Planning and Regeneration and its recommendation (copy filed with these minutes).  The Scrutiny Commission was thanked for its pre-decision scrutiny of the matter.

 

The Head of Planning and Regeneration and the Group Leader Plans, Policies and Place Making assisted with consideration of the report

 

Officers were thanked for their considerable work on the Local Plan.

 

RESOLVED

 

1.      that the Pre-Submission Charnwood Local Plan (2021-2037) and Policies Map, contained in Appendix A to the report, be approved as the Cabinet’s preferred planning strategy for Charnwood 2021-2037 but that when recommended to Council the Local Plan is amended in accordance with the wording in the appendix to the supplementary report submitted to this meeting;

 

2.      that delegated authority be given to the Head of Planning and Regeneration, in consultation with the Cabinet Lead Member for Planning and the Leader, to make minor amendments to Appendix A to the report including the insertion of illustrations to aid the interpretation of the local plan, prior to publication.

 

3.      that the Consultation Plan set out in Appendix G to the report be approved;

 

4.      that delegated authority be given to the Head of Planning and Regeneration, in consultation with the Cabinet Lead Member for Planning and the Leader, to revise the Consultation Plan set out in Appendix G to the report; 

 

5.      that the Pre-Submission Local Plan, Policies Map, Sustainability Appraisal Report, Habitat Regulations Assessment, Statement of Consultation and the other supporting documents contained in the Appendices to the report be published for public consultation for at least six weeks, in accordance with the consultation plan agreed in resolution 3 above;

 

6.      that the Head of Planning and Regeneration be given delegated authority, in consultation with the Lead Member for Planning and the Leader, to update the Statement of Consultation in light of the representations received to the Pre-Submission Local Plan and to make amendments to the supporting documents to improve the legibility and/or to respond to factual inaccuracies identified in those representations before it is submitted to the Secretary of State;

 

7.      that subject to amendments made in resolutions 2 and 6 above, that it be recommended to Council that the Pre-Submission Local Plan, Sustainability Appraisal Report, Habitat Regulations Assessment, Statement of Consultation and the other supporting documents set out in the Appendices to the report are approved for consultation and submitted to the Secretary of State for an Examination in Public, and that delegated authority be given to the Head of Planning and Regeneration to submit additional background documents to support the examination of the Local Plan and make any minor factual, typographical or graphical amendments prior to submission;

 

8.      that it be recommended to Council that delegated authority be given to the Head of Planning and Regeneration and the Group Leader Plans, Policies and Place Making to accept a request from the Planning Inspector to make main modifications and to propose modifications during the Examination as may be required.

 

9.      that the report of the Scrutiny Commission be noted.

 

Reasons

 

1.      To ensure that the Pre-Submission Local Plan (strategy, policies and policies map) are subject to public consultation under Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012. In respect of the amended wording in the supplementary report submitted to this meeting, to reflect the changes in Government policy on affordable housing and First Homes.

 

2.      To allow minor corrections and amendments to be made in a timely manner prior to publication.

 

3.      To demonstrate compliance with the Statement of Community Involvement (2021).

 

4.      To ensure that any changes required to the proposed dates or methods for consultation, arising from public health measures or practical considerations, are made in a timely manner. 

 

5.      To comply with Regulations 19 and 20 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.

 

6.      To ensure that the Statement of Consultation is updated in light of the consultation undertaken on the Pre-Submission Local Plan and that the supporting documents can be updated in light of the consultation responses before submission in a timely manner before it is submitted to the Secretary of State, as required under Regulation 19 and 20 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.

 

7.      To ensure that the local plan and supporting documents can be submitted to the Secretary of State under Section 20(3) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and Regulation 22 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.

 

8.      To ensure that officers have authority to respond to proposals for main modifications made by the Inspector during the examination under S20(7C) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and propose modifications during the examination hearings to assist the Inspector.

 

9.      To acknowledge the work undertaken by and the views of the Scrutiny Commission.

Supporting documents: