Upon the invitation of the Chair, the Planning Policy Team Leader presented the report which set out what work streams would cease, continue or start as a consequence of the decision at Full Council not to resume preparation of a Local Plan update [Minute 129]. He explained the appendix which highlighted the key work streams that decision had an impact on, with seven streams continuing and the remaining eleven not. He also noted the impact of next year’s local elections on the timescales for a resumption of the Local Plan update, should the decision at Full Council wish to be looked at in or after six months’ time.

Members then took part in a full debate on the item where a number of points were raised including:

·       dissatisfaction with the impression given in the Officer’s report in paragraph 1.2 that the decision to resume the Local Plan update would be repeatedly given back to Members until a decision to resume was made, and connecting that decision in any way to next year’s elections

·       the resourcing issues within the Planning Policy and Conservation team that made it questionable whether the items to cease were ever deliverable

·       that those items now not being delivered had been budgeted for and what would happen to this resource

·       whether the West Bank (LEGA) Evidence Study should also cease due to concerns with the viability of the project and its relation to the current Local Plan

·       the legal need to begin working on a Local Plan update so that by the time the work was completed the current Local Plan had not expired

·       concerns about continuing to build houses with no increase in the standards or additional policies (grey water recycling, increased biodiversity targets etc) to which they were built

·       concerns raised over particular studies and the all or nothing nature of the decision to continue or cease

·       whether the fact that certain studies identified to cease was compatible with the Council’s declaration of a Climate Emergency

·       the financial implications of not being able to progress some of the studies identified to cease

·       the legal issues of the continued absence of progress on updating the Local Plan

·       implications for sustainability and equality due to the delay in being able to set new planning policies to address these issues

·       the danger of second guessing what the Government may or may not do with regards planning policies in the future

The Director of Growth explained that the Council had a duty to have a Local Plan and keep it up to date, and that it was the responsibility of Officers to bring reports to Members to that effect and that it was then for Members to debate and decide on the way forward. He clarified that the purpose of this report was to help Officers develop a work programme between now (July 2022) and June 2023, and that any future decisions on the resumption of the Local Plan update may best be taken after the local elections in May 2023 as the Local Plan preparation was a long process that was ideally not repeatedly stopped and started. He also confirmed that a report on the West Bank (LEGA) Evidence Study would come to Committee later in the year.

The recommendation was then proposed by Councillor Chapman and seconded by Councillor Hughes.

The Committee

RESOLVED

That the proposed work outlined in the Appendix setting out what work could continue and what work was unable to be progressed at this time be endorsed.