Content

RESOLVED –
 

(1)      That Cabinet noted the content of the
report and approved the detailed responses outlined at Appendix 1
as forming the Council’s formal response to the consultation,
subject to stronger reference to the risks of speculative
development in answer to question 7.

 

(2)      That Cabinet authorised the Assistant
Director of Planning in consultation with the Leader and Portfolio
Holder to exercise delegated authority to make further detailed
amendments to the responses.

 

(3)     
That Cabinet agreed proposals to consider in more detail a
timetable for a review of the Local Plan (in discussion with the
Local Plan Working Group) in light of
the implications of the proposals for housing numbers and plan
making and that this be brought back to a subsequent Cabinet
meeting.
 
REASONS FOR DECISION – It is
considered important that the Council makes informed comments and
raises concerns and comments whether further work is required on
emerging national planning policy and
this will have a direct impact on how we determine applications for
development in the shorter term and how we develop a Plan that
meets the needs of the district in the longer term.
 
OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND REJECTED – The alternative is to not comment on the consultation
material. This was rejected on the basis that it is important that
the Council is aware of the implications of the Governments
proposed changes to national planning guidance and that we take the
opportunity to inform the Government of the likely impacts of their
proposals on the district and seek to influence policy development
at a national level.
 
In
terms of a review of the Council’s Local Plan, one
alternative is to do nothing and await the implementation of new
planning guidance. This was rejected on the basis that significant
changes are imminent and to do nothing would put the Council at
greater risk of speculative development for an additional extended
period of time.
 
Please note
that this was not a Key Decision and so can be implemented with
immediate effect by officers.