Agenda item

Please note that hard copies of appendices F,G and H will not be printed, but can be viewed on the website. Printed copies can be provided on request; please contact Democratic Services no later than 48 hours before the meeting to request this.

(Councillors Peter Topping, Sue Ellington and Nigel Cathcart left the meeting before or during this agenda item. Councillor Pippa Heylings, Chairman of the Climate and Environment Advisory Committee (CEAC) was present for this item to provide feedback on behalf the CEAC).

The Lead Cabinet Member for Planning introduced the agenda item, highlighting that this consultation was an opportunity for communities to explore the main issues of the Local Plan. She explained the governance structure that had been put in place to develop the Local Plan, informing the committee that an officer board and a Member Advisory Group had been set up across the councils. A communications strategy was being put in place to ensure there was better engagement with local communities. Workshops had been held and the outcomes of these had informed the text for the issues and options consultation.

John Williamson presented the Lessons Learned and Good practice review of the adopted local plans. He provided an overview of the stakeholder engagement that had taken place and set out the main findings of the review.

The Interim Planning Policy Manager provided an overview of the workshops that had taken place to help develop the issues and options document, which had highlighted some feedback themes:

1.    Housing affordability and the need to ensure the supply of the right types of housing.

2.    The need to get housing location right in order to reduce commuting.

3.    The need for a balance of jobs; the focus could not just be on planning for high tech jobs, jobs for everyone needed to be considered.

4.    The climate change agenda.

5.    Spatial distribution: ensuring villages had facilities and were vital places to live.

6.    Ensuring water supply; more work on the evidence base would be done on this.

7.    Ensuring good open space and networks were provided.

8.    Biodiversity: ensuring good tree cover and improvement of biodiversity.

The committee noted the Lessons Learned and Good Practice review, the Statement of Consultation and provided comments on the issues and options report text and supporting documents:

·         Comments were provided on the formatting of the document, which some Members found difficult to read; appendices needed to be labelled and the use of colour on colour needed to be avoided.

·         The importance of using plain English, avoiding acronyms and explaining these, as well as the need for a larger glossary, was highlighted.

·         Reassurance was sought that the Local Plan website would be fully accessible.

·         Concern was raised regarding water resilience and confidence on this issue needed to be provided to communities. In response to this the committee was informed by officers that these concerns were recognised and expert consultants would be commissioned to carry out a water cycle study.

·         Consideration should be given in the Local Plan to future changes in society, about which there was uncertainty, such as the heating and cooling of houses, as well as ensuring there was enough electricity to meet future power demands.

·         The committee was keen to see that people from further afield geographically, who came to the district to work, were also consulted.

·         Transport was highlighted as a major issue. Members queried how this would be tackled when councils did not control the transport networks or services and did not know whether transport infrastructure would be delivered. This impacted where housing was located and the viability of villages. In response to this officers informed the committee that there would be robust evidence and understanding of the impact of development on the transport network and there would be a complex assessment of the different options.

Cllr Heylings attended the meeting to provide comments as the Chairman of the Climate and Environment Advisory Committee (CEAC):

·         The CEAC was positive about the issues and options document, including its focus on climate change and biodiversity issues.

·         Cllr Heylings requested a workshop be held to bring together bodies, including the Environment Agency, to look at the water cycle strategy. The idea of water neutrality should be discussed at this workshop and the environmental consequences of spatial choices made in the plan should also be looked at.

·         Thought needed to be given to what the questions being asked in the document were trying to achieve and whether they generated useful information.

·         Water efficiency should be addressed in the housing quality section, as well as in the climate change section.

The Principal Planning Policy Officers provided an overview of the consultation process and public engagement that would be carried out. Officers were working hard to ensure that the consultation was accessible and informed the committee that there would be both a printed and online version of this.

The committee considered the proposed timing and length of public consultation. The committee favoured the consultation starting in January 2020 to avoid the Christmas period. If consultation started in January, the committee suggested that pre-consultation engagement should be undertaken. It was also suggested that the consultation document and questions be made available as far in advance as possible of the consultation start date. This would enable parish councils which may only met once every two months, to start considering their consultation responses.

The committee received and noted the Lessons Learned and Good Practice review, and the Statement of Consultation.