Agenda item

To consider the New Communities Collaboration Partnership report.

RESOLVED:

(i) To support the proposed New Communities Collaboration Partnership approach set out in Appendix 1 for any larger development sites in the forthcoming new local plan;

(ii) To endorse the Model Memorandum of Understanding set out in Appendix 2 and the supplementary paper as the basis for discussion and agreement between the Council and landowners, developers or promoters of large scale development sites in the forthcoming new local plan.

Councillor Evans presented the New Communities Collaboration Partnership report. The report set out the proposed ‘Partnership Approach’ to creating new communities as part of preparing the new Local Plan. The report also included a Model Memorandum of Understanding that landowners, promoters and developers of larger development sites would be invited to sign with the Council as part of the Partnership Approach. This was important as it would allow the development community to know “where they stood” with the Council on dealings with the new Local Plan. He said it was a technical document and the principles flowed from existing council policy. He proposed approval of the recommendation set out in the report. 

The Leader seconded the proposal.

Councillor Gregory commended the report and the work presented to Cabinet. He agreed that it was a positive move to bring clarity to the process for external stakeholders. However, there were two issues with the document. Firstly, it was not easily accessible and was complicated. He said it should have been considered by LPLG or Local Plan Scrutiny before determination by Cabinet. Secondly, the document needed to make clear the role of parish and town councils in the district. They could add value to the Local Plan process and should not be an afterthought. He asked Cabinet to refer the report back for further work.

The Chief Executive said the document was based on previous discussions at LPLG and Scrutiny, and therefore he understood why it was considered logical to bring the decision to Cabinet in the first instance.

Councillor Evans agreed and said the document was technical and would have generally been in the purview of officers. However, he said he would welcome Scrutiny’s views on the paper although he made the point that the document was technical and legal, and had been drafted by external solicitors. It was not something that could be drafted by Committee. He added that the Council wanted to work in good faith with all stakeholders, including developers and town and parish councils.

In response to a question from Councillor Pepper, Councillor Evans said green space and bio-diversity considerations would be “swept up” by the expression of Garden City principles.

The Chief Executive said he was confident that this working document would be incorporated into the wider policy base of the Local Plan, including green principles being built in as the Plan moved forward. He further explained that the Local Plan would be a series of documents that set out the Council’s aspirations for future development. This implementation document was essentially advanced notice on what the Council wanted from the developer community. Furthermore, this was not pre-empting debate; it was simply creating a platform for a common approach with developers.

Councillor Gregory warned against alienating town and parish councils; they were vital stakeholders who required consultation due to their local knowledge, and he requested that they be referenced in the documentation.  

            RESOLVED:

(i)            To support the proposed New Communities Collaboration Partnership approach set out in Appendix 1 for any larger development sites in the forthcoming new local plan;

(ii)           To endorse the Model Memorandum of Understanding set out in Appendix 2 and the supplementary paper as the basis for discussion and agreement between the Council and landowners, developers or promoters of large scale development sites in the forthcoming new local plan.

 The meeting was closed at 9.01pm.