Agenda item

The Government’s key driver for planning reform is for simple, speedier plans which clearly show what is planned in an area and which are updated frequently, are more digitally accessible and shaped by local communities while they are being drawn up.

The Planning Policy and Conservation Manager was invited by the Chair to present the report.  He provided details of the Government’s consultation, due to end on 18 October 2023 on plan-making reforms, which included a pilot scheme of 10 local authorities.   The Council’s Local Plan timetable would not allow the Local Plan to be submitted before the deadline for submission of 30 June 2025, as required under the current system.  If this was the case, under the transitional arrangements, the Council would be required to prepare its Local Plan under the new system. He drew members’ attention to the key issues set out at paragraphs 4.6-4.9.  The Arun Local Plan was now over five years old and required updating.  If the Council adopted the updated Plan but it was not submitted within the current system’s timeframe it would become a front runner authority for the pilot under the new system commencing November 2024.  Otherwise, the Council would incur a delay of 6-12 months before it could be included in the next wave of councils.

The Chair then invited questions and comments from members.  Responding to a question about Community Land auctions, the Group Head of Planning explained that their aim was to drive down prices to make land more affordable for development and advised that the Council should observe how they operate before considering if this was a suitable option.  The Planning Policy and Conservation Manager undertook to seek clarification as to whether there would be any legal implications to the Council if any Supplementary Planning Documents were made extant.  He confirmed that the Council would be charged for any advice received from the Planning Independent Specialists or Inspectorate.

A member commented that community engagement was key and that submitting consultations online was not easy for some residents.  He then questioned if the Council had the capacity and the ability to move at the pace required and, if the Council did not, there would be the issue of possibly having to employ outside consultants to deliver in time.  The Chair referred to the Statement of Community Involvement (SOCI), to be considered at agenda item 11, which he hoped would dispel some of the member’s concerns about public consultation. The Planning Policy and Conservation Manager added that although the SOCI was a statutory document, there was no requirement to publicly consult on its content.  However, the Council had taken the decision to undertake public consultation on its content.  He agreed that staff resources were a key issue.   A Project Initiation Document setting out the scoping of the plan and which would be subject to examination at the Gateway 1 stage where the Council’s resources would be assessed.  He referred to the Arun Local Plan Update considered at the June meeting of the Committee, which had included an appendix with details of a Statement of Works Contract proposal.  This set out which projects may be required to be carried out by consultants on behalf of the Council due to staffing resource issues.  He assured the Committee that staff resources would be assessed to ensure that the Arun Local Plan timetable could be delivered.  Responding to a question concerning land prices and land banking, he advised that community land banking was not an effective tool. 

The Planning Policy and Conservation Manager explained that steps were taken to minimise overspends, such as staggering when studies were carried out.  Any overspends were a matter for the Policy and Finance Committee to consider.  The Group Head of Planning added that in theory the new system should result in a more streamlined and efficient timetable with fewer costs to the Council.  It was currently not known how far the Council would be expected to go as regards to the providing of evidence and data.

In response to comments made regarding the bidding process for the pilot, the Group Head of Planning explained that Councils would find out at the end of 2024 if they had been successful.  The timescale would not allow time for a response to be reported to this Committee, but any decision whether to accept would not be taken by officers in isolation and members would be informed.

The recommendations were then proposed by Councillor Lury and seconded by Councillor Yeates.

The Committee

RESOLVED that

1.         the Council bids to become a front runner authority for progressing the Local Plan update in November 2024 when new regulations are published;

2.         a high-level response is submitted to the consultation as set out in sections 4.6 to 4.12.