Agenda item

The Assistant Director for Strategic Planning & Regulatory Services to submit a report which invites the Council to make comments on the Strategic Growth Plan (SGP) for Leicester and Leicestershire as part of its consultation exercise.

Members had before them a report prepared by the Assistant Director of Strategic Planning & Regulatory Services which invited the Council to make comments on the Strategic Growth Plan (SGP) for Leicester & Leicestershire as part of its consultation exercise.

In presenting the report, the Leader

(a)       reminded Members of the early draft SGP which was present to the Council at its December meeting for which approval had been sought to go out to consultation.  This had been agreed by all parties and consultation had started in January.  Comments were being submitted and an early sight of these included:

·         Support for growth in Melton – and some opposition

·         Potential to improve public transport links to major centres

·         Need to relieve congestion

·         Potential role as a centre for rural industries

·         Relatively isolated location, lack of job opportunities

·         Impact on historic centre and current traffic congestion

(b)       reported that the Council’s consultation arrangements had been completed as set out in the report and a drop in exhibition had been arranged for 14 March;

(c)        explained that the SGP set out an approach to the delivery of growth and infrastructure in the Leicester and Leicestershire area to 2050.  This followed objectives of developing Leicester as the ‘core city’ but with growth points elsewhere in the County of which Melton Mowbray was one.  The SGP proposed a level of growth commensurate with the Council’s Own Local Plan, but maintaining that going beyond the plan’s horizons after 2036;

(d)       emphasised that the main purpose of the report was to allow this Council to make its own contribution.  The Council had commented at the draft stage and it was pleasing to note that these comments had been picked up in the Consultation Draft version.  This included:

·         The importance for Melton of connectivity to larger centres

·         The proximity to the proposed A46 expressway

·         The importance of broadband and other digital infrastructure

·         Steering development pressures to major growth areas and away from villages

(e)       stated that with this background he was happy to commend the SGP to the Council in its current form.  The document would come back to the Council after the consultation process had finished and this was expected to be in late 2018;

(f)        concluded by commenting on the relationship between the Local Plan and the SGP in the light of the recent Examination.  There was clearly some uncertainty about the content of the Local Plan until the Examination result was known – one aspect of this being the level of growth in Melton Mowbray.  There was a risk, believed to be quite small, that the proposed growth for Melton Mowbray may be reduced as a result of the Examination; several parties had argued to this effect.  If this were to happen, the existing strong synergy between the Local Plan and the SGP would be weakened.  Whilst this was hopefully an issue of timing, the Leader said it had been felt necessary to flag this up to the partners.  With this caveat, he moved the endorsement of the recommendations as contained in the order paper.  Councillor Higgins seconded the motion.

Before the vote was taken, a Member asked how many houses were being built at the present time.  The Leader undertook to supply this information to the Member.  The motion was then put to the vote and carried unanimously.

RESOLVED: that to support the content of the Draft Strategic Growth Plan for Leicester & Leicestershire and highlights the potential issues set out at para 3.11.1 – 3.11.3 of the Assistant Director’s report.

[Councillor Rhodes here returned to the meeting at 7.10pm]