Purpose

Birchington Parish Council has prepared a
draft neighbourhood plan. It was published and formally submitted
to the Council and has subsequently been assessed by an independent
Examiner. The Examiner’s report has also been published. It
supports the proposed Neighbourhood Plan, with some minor
modifications, and recommends that it be subject to a
referendum.
 
The Council has to issue a Decision Statement
as to whether or not it accepts the recommendations in the
Examiners report, and, if not, what actions would be necessary. The
Council also has to consider whether the draft Plan meets the
“basic conditions” for a Neighbourhood Plan. The draft
Neighbourhood Plan, along with the modifications proposed by the
Examiner, is supported.

Decision

Cabinet agreed the following:
 
1. 
That the draft Neighbourhood Plan be modified as set out in this
report, and
 
2. 
That the Council issues a Decision Statement that it accepts the
recommendations in the Examiners report, and the draft
Neighbourhood Plan can proceed to referendum.

Reasons for the decision

Cabinet considered that the draft
Neighbourhood Plan, along with the Examiners modifications, meets
the ‘Basic Conditions’ and should proceed to
referendum.

Alternative options considered

That Cabinet decides to issue a Decision
Statement that the Birchington Neighbourhood Plan does not meet the
Basic Conditions, and proposes further modifications be made to the
plan in order for it to do so. Those modifications would then
require a public consultation.
 
The Council submitted formal responses to the
two rounds of formal consultations that form part of the
Neighbourhood Planning process. It is considered that either
subsequent versions of the draft plan, or the modifications
proposed by the Examiner, fully address any concerns raised in the
formal responses. No further modifications to the plan are
therefore considered necessary.