Issue - meetings

The Planning Portfolio Holder agreed to

a)             set up a Task and Finish Group consisting provisionally of four District Councillors, two Parish Councillors and two Parish Council clerks to oversee the development of a number of documents relating to the review of working with Parish Councils to include

                                                             i.         a revised agreement for use between the Council and any Parish Council  preparing a Neighbourhood Plan;

                                                           ii.         a standard and enhanced offer to Parish Councils preparing Neighbourhood Plans; and

                                                          iii.         Guidance to Neighbourhood Plans in South Cambridgeshire

b)             Consider, at a Portfolio Holder meeting in Autumn 2016, the documents referred to in a) above, submit them to consultation with Parish Councils, and then consider proposed modifications (if any) before finalising those documents; and

c)              conduct an annual review of how the Council works with Parish Councils on Neighbourhood Plans.

Against a backcloth of growing interest among local communities in preparing Neighbourhood Plans, providing an opportunity for Parish Councils to produce plans that would sit alongside South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Local Plan, the Planning Portfolio Holder considered a report examining how the district council is working with local communities.

 The report highlighted the statutory duty of district councils to advise, and assist, those Parish Councils preparing Neighbourhood Plans.

Taking care not to direct her comment at officers, Councillor Bridget Smith regretted the fact that South Cambridgeshire District Council had not been encouraging Neighbourhood Planning three years ago. She said that the consequence of not doing so was that some communities were now suffering intense development pressures. The Planning and New Communities Director highlighted that, at that time, neighbourhood plans were a relatively new concept, and parish councils were given the opportunity to include Parish-led proposals within the Local Plan as an alternative to them preparing neighbourhood plans. A number of Parish Councils had taken advantage of this alternative course.

Councillor Smith expressed concern about the adequacy, or otherwise, of district council resources available to provide appropriate support to Parish Councils. The Planning and New Communities Director admitted that the delay in adopting the Local Plan had caused problems by virtue of some of the district Council’s housing policies being deemed out-of-date. She pointed out that the Planning Policy Team responsible for Neighbourhood Plans was the same one striving to ensure that the emerging Local Plan passed successfully through the Inquiry stage and progressed eventually to adoption.

Councillor Lynda Harford said that South Cambridgeshire District Council should seek innovative ways to support local communities in preparing Neighbourhood Plans that complemented the District-wide Local Plan. 

 The Planning Portfolio Holder and others present discussed a proposal to set up a Neighbourhood Plan Task and Finish Group.

The Planning Portfolio Holder agreed to

a)             set up a Task and Finish Group consisting provisionally of four District Councillors, two Parish Councillors and two Parish Council clerks to oversee the development of a number of documents relating to the review of working with Parish Councils to include

                                                             i.         a revised agreement for use between the Council and any Parish Council  preparing a Neighbourhood Plan;

                                                           ii.         a standard and enhanced offer to Parish Councils preparing Neighbourhood Plans; and

                                                          iii.         Guidance to Neighbourhood Plans in South Cambridgeshire

b)             Consider, at a Portfolio Holder meeting in Autumn 2016, the documents referred to in a) above, submit them to consultation with Parish Councils, and then consider proposed modifications (if any) before finalising those documents; and

c)              conduct an annual review of how the Council works with Parish Councils on Neighbourhood Plans.