Agenda item

To consider the Joint Statement of Community Involvement for the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan (GESP).

The Head of Planning, Economy and Regeneration explained that the Committee had two reports before them the * Joint Statement of Community Involvement for the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan (GESP) and the ** Greater Exeter Strategic Plan Draft Policies and Site Options consultation document.

She informed the Committee that the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan Draft Policies and Site Options consultation document was being presented across all four authorities and had previously been considered by Exeter City Council and Teignbridge District Council.

The Forward Planning Officer then gave an overview of the GESP by way of a presentation which highlighted:

·         Maintained Member engagement in formulating policies

·         Sustainable development

·         High level strategic plans

·         Site options

·         Evidence documents

Members then discussed the GESP in detail and raised various concerns including:

·         The relevance of GESP to the Local Plan which was due to be formally adopted

·         What was the definition of a larger development

·         Why a Statement of Common Ground could not be considered in the place of GESP

·         If signing up to GESP would address employment opportunities in Mid Devon

·         GESP was too Exeter centric

·         That Okehampton was not included as it fell outside of the district boundary of the GESP

·         The effect of the GESP on property prices within Mid Devon and that the GESP appeared to be to solve Exeter’s housing problems

·         The numbers of new houses proposed by the GESP seemed to high to sustain employment opportunities

·         Not enough time for Members to consider the documents and to make comments and that the GESP would take precedence over the MDDC Local Plan

·         Previously rejected development sites had reappeared on the GESP

·         The lack of provision for increased secondary education in Tiverton

·         The current capability of digital networks and could it cope with more development

·         The 8 week timescale of the initial public consultation was not long enough and how this would be presented to the public

In response to the concerns raised the Head of Planning, Economy and Regeneration and the Forward Planning Officer provided the following responses:

·         The GESP plans sat alongside the Local Plans and dealt with cross boundary issues such as climate change and how people lived and worked in the area

·         GESP was focussed on development of 500 houses or more. As part of the GESP local landowners and developers had been asked to identify possible future development sites

·         The Council had a duty to co-operate and would always need to engage with neighbouring authorities but the GESP could tackle the wider picture such as climate change, transport policy and the economy. It was an opportunity to coordinate the big issues and there was strength on working together

·         The were more opportunities for employment in Exeter but the plan sought to address local employment across the districts

·         A number of the districts had a rail network but Okehampton was not included as it fell outside the plan. However, there was still a duty to co-operate with neighbouring authorities and the GESP would be working with local authority partners

·         House numbers included were not all new homes and included existing commitments and allocated sites. Exeter City Council were taking a responsible approach and looking across the city and brownfield land opportunities

·         The Local Planning Authorities had the power to reject planning applications even if they were brought forward by the GESP and that the Joint Statement of Community Involvement detailed the proposed consultation

·         Education requirements were considered as part of any process of plan making and evidence was taken from the education authority based on projected numbers and the need for additional education infrastructure

·         The GESP strategy and proposal made a greater digital connectivity a key element of the GESP vision, especially in rural area’s. A number of policies had been introduced to improve home working

·         The GESP team would need to think carefully about the presentation to the public and this would be the first of a series of consultations. There would be a range of different options which would ensure communication with the public

Members then went on to discuss the recommendations in the reports and specifically the recommendation that Cabinet give delegated authority to the Leader, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder and Chief Executive, to agree changes to the above documents arising from decisions by the other GESP authorities before they are published for consultation.

The Head of Planning, Economy and Regeneration explained that the recommendation was to ensure that each of the local authorities could make amendments to the plan or debate changes without the need for full consultation each time. She confirmed that Teignbridge District Council Scrutiny Committee had also considered this point and had amended the recommendation so that the delegated powers only related to ‘minor editorial amendments’.

Therefore:

It was AGREED to NOTE the recommendations to the Cabinet contained within the Joint Statement of Community Involvement for the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan and the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan Draft Policies and Site Options consultation document, subject to the following comments which the Scrutiny Committee asked to be brought to the attention of the Cabinet:

·         That the Cabinet recognised the concerns with the GESP expressed by the Scrutiny Committee on 20^th July 2020 including:

o   The democratic process

o   Lack of scope including neighbouring authorities

o   Over complexity

o   Overly Exeter focussed

o   Hierarchy of plans

o   Infrastructure concerns

·         That any delegated authority given should be for minor editorial changes only

(Proposed by the Chairman)

Notes:

    i.)        * Joint Statement of Community Involvement for the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan previously circulated and attached to the minutes

   ii.)        ** Greater Exeter Strategic Plan Draft Policies and Site Options consultation document previously circulated and attached to the minutes