Agenda item

The Head of Regulatory Services to submit a report updating the Council on the progress and issues around the Local Plan preparation and seeking agreement for the next steps.

The Chair of the Melton Local Plan Working Group, Councillor Chandler presented the report before Members which had been prepared by the Head of Regulatory Services to update the Council on the progress and issues around the Local Plan preparation and to seek agreement for the next steps.  Councillor Chandler made the following points:

•           the report represented an aide memoir to the journey travelled and brought Members up to date with activity up until now.  A huge amount of work had been completed to keep up with the changes and all the representations.  The task for this meeting was how to take all of this forward to produce a better and more up to date Plan;

•           the report explored different approaches that could be taken but was strongly influenced by the need to get a Plan in place as soon as possible but without taking excessive risk; it was not however a risk free exercise;

•           an approach of ‘focussed changes’, alongside much more modifications was proposed.  The report speculated what these may be based upon the remainder of the agenda and calculated what a revised timetable might look like, leading to submission in the Autumn;

•           this was dependent on the content of the changes arising from debate at this meeting.  Members were reminded that ‘focussed changes’ could only go so far: any fundamental changes to the Plan would not be the appropriate approach.

Without prejudice to all the difficult issues that needed to be considered at this meeting, Councillor Chandler moved the recommendations (i) to (vii) contained in the report.  Councillor Illingworth, as Chair of the Planning Committee, seconded the motion, reserving the right to speak later in the debate should he so wish.

The Deputy Leader, Councillor Higgins:

•           indicated his support for the motion.  He thanked the members of the Local Plan Working Group, Officers, and the public and other stakeholders for submitting representations;

•           highlighted the importance of progressing the Draft Local Plan without which there was no defence against large scale development in the Borough and the Council had to be guided by the national planning policy framework which presumed in favour of development;

•           referred to the opportunity for communities to gain funding from development and potential for economic growth but without the Local Plan this would be in doubt;

•           conveyed the support of Councillor Blase for the recommendations although he was unable to attend the meeting.

The Mayor called for a vote on the motion which was subsequently carried unanimously.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the progress and issues pertaining around local plan preparation since the Pre Submission Draft Melton Local Plan was published be noted;

(2)  the Addendum to the Community Consultation and Engagement Statement in Appendix 1 of this report be agreed;

(3)  the new information that is being taken into account in finalising the draft Local Plan for submission to the Planning Inspectorate for Examination be noted;

(4)  the steps that need to be taken up to and including submission of the draft Local Plan for Examination be agreed;

(5)  a Draft Melton Local Plan Addendum of ‘Focused Changes’ be prepared and subject to 6 weeks of public and other consultations, in accordance with Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning)(England) Regulations 2012;

(6)  the broad scope of the proposed Addendum of Focused Changes referred to in recommendation (iv) above subject to consideration of the issues described be noted; and

(7)  the implications on the timetable to adoption of the additional step outlined in recommendation (iv) above be noted.

[Councillor Greenow entered the meeting during the following item.]