Here's a summary of the scheduled discussions for the Cotswold District Council's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning Decision Meeting. The meeting will focus on responses to consultations from Gloucestershire County Council and Moreton in Marsh Town Council. The first is regarding the draft Gloucestershire Local Nature Recovery Strategy, and the second concerns the Moreton in Marsh Reg. 14 Neighbourhood Plan.

Gloucestershire Local Nature Recovery Strategy Consultation

The meeting includes a discussion on the council's response to Gloucestershire County Council's draft Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS). Councillor Juliet Layton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning will be asked to consider a draft consultation response, included as Annex A, to the public consultation on the draft Gloucestershire LNRS.

The report pack states that Defra appointed Gloucestershire County Council as the Responsible Authority for developing Gloucestershire's LNRS, with Cotswold District Council acting as a Supporting Authority. The draft LNRS is described as a strategic spatial tool that includes:

• A statement of biodiversity priorities (referred to as Annexes B and C).
• A local habitat map (referred to as Annex D).

These elements are intended to help identify where nature recovery efforts can be most effectively targeted.

The report pack notes that the draft LNRS sets out six key aims:

• Safeguarding, mapping and enhancing existing biodiversity-rich sites
• Landscape scale connectivity
• Climate emergency
• Our relationship with water
• The value of mixed and wilder habitats
• Biodiversity in our developments and settlements

To support these aims, the draft strategy describes a range of Potential Measures, recommended actions or management options designed to deliver one or more of the 10 Biodiversity Priorities.

The draft Local Habitat Map identifies existing areas of high biodiversity value, known as Areas of Particular Importance for Biodiversity, as well as areas with potential for restoration or habitat creation, referred to as Areas That Could Become of Particular Importance for Biodiversity.

The report pack explains that the Environment Act 2021 legally requires the council to have regard to the LNRS. It also notes that if the council chose not to respond to the consultation, it would represent a missed opportunity to contribute to a strategy .

Moreton in Marsh Neighbourhood Plan Consultation

The meeting will also cover the council's response to the Reg. 14 consultation on the Moreton in Marsh Neighbourhood Plan. Councillor Juliet Layton will be asked to consider a response to Moreton in Marsh Town Council on their Reg. 14 draft Neighbourhood Plan.

The report pack states that Moreton in Marsh Town Council were designated a Neighbourhood Planning Area in September 2018 and have prepared a draft Neighbourhood Plan 2018-2031. The Reg. 14 consultation is a formal stage where the draft plan is made public for comments from residents and stakeholders.

The report pack explains that a Neighbourhood Plan is required to meet certain basic conditions, including:

• Compliance with national planning policy.
• Contribution to sustainable development.
• General conformity with the strategic policies of the Local Plan.
• Compatibility with EU obligations.
• No breach of habitats regulations.

The draft Neighbourhood Plan proposes 20 policies, including those related to:

• Climate Adaptation and Energy Efficiency in Developments
• Managing Flood Risk
• Housing Mix
• Affordable Housing
• Well Designed Housing and Places
• Parking in Residential Developments
• Brownfield First
• Infrastructure Investment Priorities
• Local Green Spaces
• Non-designated Heritage Assets
• Transport and Active Travel

The report pack includes a draft response (Annex A) with comments on each of these policies. For example, regarding the policy on Parking in Residential Developments, the council's Principal Transport Planner, Sarah Williams, is quoted as saying that the current parking provision is set out in the Gloucestershire County Council Manual for Gloucestershire Streets (July 2020) . Regarding the policy on Non-designated Heritage Assets, the council's Natural, Built and Historic Environment Team Manager, Danielle Berry, is quoted as saying that a list of Non-designated Heritage Assets is provided in Appendix D but there is no justification/ evidence for each .

The report pack notes that Cotswold District Council has a statutory duty to support groups in preparing a Neighbourhood Plan.

Other Matters

The agenda also includes standard items such as:

• Declarations of interest.
• An officer overview of each report.
• Confirmation of any comments received.
• Public questions.
• Cabinet Member questions.
• A verbal confirmation of the decision made by Councillor Juliet Layton.