Issue - meetings

(See report at agenda item 8 (pages 41 to 45) of the Cabinet agenda of 7 February 2017 and pages 96 to 108 of the first supplement to the agenda)

RECOMMENDED BY THE CABINET

That the revised Local Development Scheme 2017-2020 be approved.

Mrs Taylor (Cabinet Member for Planning Services), seconded by Mr Dignum, moved the recommendation of the Cabinet.

Mrs Taylor introduced the report, summarising the nature and purpose of the Local Development Scheme (LDS).  She gave an overview of the three principal areas where it was proposed to revise the LDS: the Chichester Local Plan Review, the Southern Gateway Masterplan Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) and the Statement of Community Involvement. She also referred to neighbourhood development plans.

The LDS contained information about the current development plan for Chichester District and the timetable for the future production of planning policy documents. The LDS was used to monitor the council’s progress in producing planning policy documents as part of the Authority’s Monitoring Report and was last reviewed in March 2016.  It was essential that the LDS was kept up to date to take into account government legislation and local developments that had occurred over the last twelve months.

Mrs Apel queried whether, as a result of the A27 bypass funding having been withdrawn, the Local Plan was still considered sound.  Mrs Taylor responded that, when the Inspector had examined the Local Plan, the current A27 position had been taken into account which was one of the reasons why the lower housing figure had been approved.  Mr Carvell added the Local Plan was adopted (and therefore sound) and that there were firm arrangements in place for collecting contributions from developers for improvement to the A27 roundabouts through S106 and 278 agreements.  The recent decision to cancel the A27 bypass scheme would have an effect on our review of the Local Plan.

Mr Dunn and Mr Oakley highlighted the vastly inflated housing figures being experienced by neighbouring authorities without an adopted Local Plan in place.  Mr Carvell, in response to a question from Mr Oakley querying whether there was a system at Arun District Council to obtain developer contributions towards the Chichester bypass, advised that he would take soundings from other authorities but was not sure there was anything in place which was comparable to the scheme in Chichester.

Mrs Purnell (Cabinet Member for Housing and Environment Services) asked the Leader whether schemes such as Southern Gateway and Chichester Vision would go ahead in light of the A27 bypass cancellation.  Mr Dignum undertook to respond to Mrs Purnell on this matter.

On the recommendation being put to the vote, it was declared carried.

RESOLVED

That the revised Local Development Scheme 2017-2020 be approved.

The Cabinet is requested to consider the agenda report and its appendix and to recommend to the Council that it approves the revised Local Development Scheme.

RECOMMENDED TO THE COUNCIL

That the revised Local Development Scheme 2017-2020 be approved.

The Cabinet received and considered the agenda report and its appendix in the main agenda supplement (copies attached to the official minutes).

The report was presented by Mrs Taylor.

Mrs Miller and Mr Allgrove were in attendance for this item. 

Mrs Taylor summarised with reference to sections 3 and 4 of the report the nature and purpose of the Local Development Scheme (LDS). She gave an overview of the three principal areas where it was proposed to revise the LDS: Chichester Local Plan (CLP) Review (paras 5.2 to 5.6), Southern Gateway Masterplan paras 5.7 to 5.9) and Statement of Community Involvement (para 5.10). She also referred to neighbourhood development plans (para 5.11).

Mrs Miller did not wish to add to Mrs Taylor’s presentation.

Mrs Taylor and Mr Allgrove answered a question by Mrs Hardwick about the likely impact of the Housing and Planning Bill, if enacted, on CDC’s CLP Review and the LDS timetable. The Neighbourhood Planning Bill was proposing the requirement for a regular review of the Statement of Community Involvement and the current uncertainty about strategic planning arrangements might be clarified by the publication of a housing white paper which was due to be published on the day of this meeting. 

Decision

At the end of the discussion members voted unanimously on a show of hands in favour of making the recommendations to the Council meeting as set out below.

RECOMMENDED TO THE COUNCIL

That the revised Local Development Scheme 2017-2020 be approved.