Issue - meetings

To reconsider the draft design guide for the Tiverton Eastern Urban Extension deferred from the previous meeting.

The Cabinet had before it a *revised report of the Head of Planning and Regeneration which also included requested information on the implications, costs and timescales of developing a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) as Members had indicated that they wished to see the adoption of the Design Guide for management purposes as an initial step but also wanted to consider whether to subsequently translate the document into a full SPD.

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Regeneration outlined the contents of the report stating that following discussion revised wording for the preamble had been supplied and that the errors highlighted by Mr Salter would be amended.

Discussion took place regarding:

·         The need for the Design Guide to be put in place as soon as possible pre-empting any planning applications for the site

·         The need for the preamble to be clear and provide a headline for the document

Whilst the adoption of the Design Guide for management purposes was an initial step, Members had also wanted to consider whether to subsequently translate that document into a full Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), technically, it would be possible to seek to develop the design guide into an SPD, however this would take time, possibly up to 6 months and would require 2 stages of public consultation and external consultants would need to be commissioned, at considerable cost to the Council.  It was felt that the production of an SPD could cause confusion as it could conflict with the detail set out in the design guide.

It was therefore:

RESOLVED  that:

a)        The document (as amended) for development management purposes in the determination of all planning applications received within the Tiverton Eastern Urban Extension (EUE) be adopted and that delegated authority be given to the Head of Planning and Regeneration in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Regeneration and the Cabinet Member for Housing to make minor changes to the document to correct spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors and to include the redesign of the front page containing the preamble; and that

b)        The production of a design supplementary planning document not be pursued.

(Proposed by Cllr R J Chesterton and seconded by Cllr C R Slade)

Notes: -

(i)            The Tiverton Civic Society be provided with the final draft of the document.

(ii)           *Report previously circulated, copy attached to minutes.