RESOLVED –
(1) That Cabinet noted the content of the report and approved the detailed responses outlined at Appendix 1 as forming the Council’s formal response to the consultation, subject to stronger reference to the risks of speculative development in answer to question 7.
(2) That Cabinet authorised the Assistant Director of Planning in consultation with the Leader and Portfolio Holder to exercise delegated authority to make further detailed amendments to the responses.
(3) That Cabinet agreed proposals to consider in more detail a timetable for a review of the Local Plan (in discussion with the Local Plan Working Group) in light of the implications of the proposals for housing numbers and plan making and that this be brought back to a subsequent Cabinet meeting.
REASONS FOR DECISION – It is considered important that the Council makes informed comments and raises concerns and comments whether further work is required on emerging national planning policy and this will have a direct impact on how we determine applications for development in the shorter term and how we develop a Plan that meets the needs of the district in the longer term.
OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND REJECTED – The alternative is to not comment on the consultation material. This was rejected on the basis that it is important that the Council is aware of the implications of the Governments proposed changes to national planning guidance and that we take the opportunity to inform the Government of the likely impacts of their proposals on the district and seek to influence policy development at a national level.
In terms of a review of the Council’s Local Plan, one alternative is to do nothing and await the implementation of new planning guidance. This was rejected on the basis that significant changes are imminent and to do nothing would put the Council at greater risk of speculative development for an additional extended period of time.
Please note that this was not a Key Decision and so can be implemented with immediate effect by officers.