Issue - meetings

Report of Councillor S Pickering, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Place.

RESOLVED -

(1)            That Cabinet agreed the decision not to formally progress with a full Review of the Local Plan at this stage.

(2)            That Cabinet approved the evidence base Action Plan at Appendix 2 of the report.

(3)            That Cabinet approved the ‘Position Statement’ for publication on the Council’s website.

(4)            That Cabinet noted the notes from the first Local Plan Working Group meeting on 1 November 2023 (Appendix 3).

REASONS FOR DECISION – To enable the Council to progress with evidence based work so that it is in the best position to adopt the new Local Plan making processes that are expected to come into force later this year, and to agree a statement that sets out the Council’s position and updates members of the public on the approach being taken.  The publication of a Position Statement would demonstrate openness and transparency around the matter of plan making.

OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND REJECTED – The option of announcing a formal Review of the Local Plan now was considered but rejected. The option was not recommended by officers or the Working Group due to the likely duplication/delays that would be caused by the anticipated changes to the plan making process. The option of doing nothing was considered but rejected.  Officers were of the view that the evidence base behind a number of the strategic polices within the Local Plan needed to be updated.

Please note that this was not a Key Decision and so can be implemented with immediate effect by officers.

The report to Cabinet advised Cabinet of the issues and alternatives relating to a Review of the Local Plan taking account of the provisions of both the current plan-making system and the changes proposed through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act. The report also sought to approve a Position Statement to clarify the Council’s intentions for Reviewing the Local Plan.

The report explained that the Council’s Local Plan was adopted in November 2021 and set out policies and proposals for the use and development of land for the period up to 2034. Regulation 10A of The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended) required local planning authorities to review Local Plans at least once every five years from their adoption date, so a review of the North East Derbyshire Local Plan must therefore be completed by November 2026.

The proposal to progress a formal review of the Local Plan was discussed by the Local Plan Review Working Group at meetings in November 2023 and February 2024. The Working Group concluded that there was insufficient time before summer 2025 to undertake a full Review and update of the current Local Plan under the current system; and recommended that the Council should not formally progress with a full Review of the Local Plan at this time.

Cabinet agreed to approve the conclusions of the Working Group because they felt the conclusions recognised the lack of time to carry out a review, but also displayed transparency to the public.

RESOLVED -

(1)            That Cabinet agreed the decision not to formally progress with a full Review of the Local Plan at this stage.

(2)            That Cabinet approved the evidence base Action Plan at Appendix 2 of the report.

(3)            That Cabinet approved the ‘Position Statement’ for publication on the Council’s website.

(4)            That Cabinet noted the notes from the first Local Plan Working Group meeting on 1 November 2023 (Appendix 3).

REASONS FOR DECISION – To enable the Council to progress with evidence based work so that it is in the best position to adopt the new Local Plan making processes that are expected to come into force later this year, and to agree a statement that sets out the Council’s position and updates members of the public on the approach being taken.  The publication of a Position Statement would demonstrate openness and transparency around the matter of plan making.

OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND REJECTED – The option of announcing a formal Review of the Local Plan now was considered but rejected. The option was not recommended by officers or the Working Group due to the likely duplication/delays that would be caused by the anticipated changes to the plan making process. The option of doing nothing was considered but rejected.  Officers were of the view that the evidence base behind a number of the strategic polices within the Local Plan needed to be updated.