Issue - meetings

To consider the Local Development Scheme.

RESOLVED to adopt the Local Development Scheme.

The Leader invited Councillor Evans to present items 12 - 15 to Cabinet as they were all related to planning and the Local Plan. Councillor Eke would introduce item 16 as the relevant Portfolio Holder for Infrastructure. The Leader proposed taking all remaining recommendations as a single vote at the end of the presentations. Cabinet agreed.

Councillor Evans said it was important to acknowledge the input of the late Councillor Storah in these reports in his capacity as Chair of the Local Plan Leadership Group. He also thanked Councillor Gregory and the Scrutiny Committee for their remarks as a critical friend; the reports had benefitted from the scrutiny provided by the committee.

The Local Development Scheme

Councillor Evans presented the report on the Local Development scheme. He said this was a very important document as it underpinned the Council’s approach to the Local Plan process, including timetables and consultations. He said adjustments to the Scheme were likely, in part due to the current Government consultation on the Planning White Paper, and the document would be updated to reflect real practice.

In response to a question from Councillor Freeman regarding energy efficiency, Councillor Evans said the Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) in relation to energy efficiency would be looked at.

Councillor Freeman thanked Councillor Evans and said such SPDs were important as, in the absence of a Local Plan, they set out planning standards which developers were obliged to follow. He offered his assistance on the matter.

Councillor Pepper said there was an interim climate planning document that would also cover the energy sector.

In response to a question from Councillor Lees, Councillor Evans said there was no reason to assume that the Local Plan timetable would slip due to the Government’s consultation on the Planning White Paper. He said he would liaise with Councillor LeCount who was monitoring progress.

Community Engagement Strategy

Councillor Evans said this was an updated version of a previously considered document, and the Strategy had taken into account the comments of the Scrutiny Committee. It set-out the nine themes on which the community could comment. He said the messages in the Strategy would need to be frequently communicated to the public and parish and town councils.

Councillor Criscione said the one area in which the Strategy fell short was deliverability of the Local Plan. He referenced the Essex Developers Group as an organisation which could advise on the issue of deliverability.

In response to a question from Councillor Lees regarding parish involvement in the Community Forum, Councillor Evans said the Town and Parish Council Forum already existed and it would not be appropriate for local councils to be involved in the additional Community Forum as this would duplicate their participation.

Statement of Community Involvement (SCI)

Councillor Evans said the SCI, which explained how the Council would involve the community in the Local Plan process, had been thoroughly considered by the LPLG and costs had now been budgeted for. He said the document would be shared widely with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12

To consider the Local Development Scheme (LDS).

The Local Plan and New Communities Manager presented his report of a new draft Local Development Scheme (LDS) that set out the draft timetable for producing the Local Plan. He said that community engagement through local channels would be carried out in a new way.

In response to various questions on community engagement, the Local Plan and New Communities Manager said the intention was to have a number of initiatives that engaged the public through Community Forums, through Town and Parish Councils, through magazines, ensuring that the public could make use of email and written communication by letters. He said that the intention was to ensure that any questions asked were easily understood and that he recognised the importance of not raising public expectations. 

Several Members commented on the need to carefully frame any questions, to work at local levels and to particularly consider older residents in terms of their engagement. Members offered to assist in the circulation of questions to the public if they could be provided with them.

The Assistant Director – Planning said that a meeting had been arranged with Town and Parish Councils on 12 October 2020 and that he would endeavour to pick this issue up then.

Councillor Evans said that he had attended previous meetings with the third tiers and that he supported the notion to get as much involvement from the third tiers as possible. He said that both he and Councillor Day (Portfolio holder for Communities, Community Safety, Youth and Police and Fire Service Liaison) would be writing on a quarterly basis to each of the third tiers to update them.

CouncillorCriscione highlighted a slight discrepancy between the draft timetable shown on page 35 with that shown on Page 14 of the Agenda. He also asked why there had been nothing included in the Risk Register that related to possible Government intervention.

The Local Plan and New Communities Manager acknowledged that there had been a drafting error in respect of the timetable and that this would be corrected. He said that he had been informed that provided the Local Plan had been submitted by December 2023 then the Government would not be looking to intervene and that the key issue for the Government was that progress was being made.

Councillor Sutton proposed a motion that Members were content to remit the Local Development Scheme proposals to Cabinet for adoption, subject to the timetable discrepancy being resolved.

Councillor Sell seconded the motion. There was no dissent.

RESOLVED to approve the motion.

To consider the Local Development Scheme (LDS).

- The group approved the document be taken to Cabinet.