Agenda item

To consider a report of the Director of Place requesting approval of the Issues Paper for consultation to meet the requirements of Regulation 18 Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.

The Cabinet had before it a *report of the Director of Place requesting approval of the Issues Paper for consultation.

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Regeneration outlined the contents of the report.

He outlined the work of the Planning Policy Advisory Group and the responses that would be invited to the questions included in the Issues paper.  The Cabinet was required to approve the issues paper for public consultation together with supporting documents.

At this point he referred to questions posed in Public Question Time:

·         Masterplans were developed for a variety of reasons – to guide development, to become formal planning policy, to guide strategic actions on behalf of an Authority or as a combination of these. As such, Masterplans were a valuable and useful tool for local authorities in supporting the progression of strategic development.

·         In this case, a Masterplan was developed for the Tiverton EUE scheme and was subsequently adopted by the Local Authority. The document provided principles for development and was a guidance document – the detail of a scheme always developed over time as specific issues were debated and as the wider policy context develops. This has been the case with Tiverton EUE.

·         Some elements of the Tiverton EUE scheme have already been constructed and others are now progressing through the planning system – including the Redrow scheme

·         The Redrow scheme already benefits from an outline planning permission which establishes the principle of development and deals with key aspects relating to the scheme. The reserved matters application will come before the planning committee again on the 19 January and it will be for the committee to consider and determine the application in line with the relevant policy documents and considering the officer’s recommendation, at that time, as is right and proper.

·         The new Local Plan for Mid Devon will have regard to the current NPPF which introduces the use of design codes alongside design guides, and in relation to the National Design Guide and National Model Design Code. This will therefore allow us to have further consideration to design matters, moving forwards.

Consideration was given to:

·         The period of consultation and whether this should be increased to a minimum of 8 weeks;

·         Whether a bite sized document could be created for the parishes and the general public;

·         Priority 5  – improving our health and well-being;

·         Junction 27 and whether the statement within the document was accurate and discussions that were taking place with regard to this site;

·         Whether the Local Plan policies were being followed by developers;

·         General exception sites and how the NPPF was followed;

·         The fact that the Local Authority was working in line with the current Local Plan; and

·         The need for the consultation document to stimulate responses.

RESOLVED that:

1. The Plan Mid Devon Issues Paper (Appendix 1), its Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report (Appendix 2) and Equalities Impact Assessment Screening Report (Appendix 3) be approved for public consultation for a minimum period of 8 weeks.

2. Delegated authority be given to the Director of Place (in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Regeneration) to make such further minor changes to the Issue Paper as he considers appropriate prior to the consultation.

(Proposed by Cllr R J Chesterton and seconded by Cllr R B Evans)

Reason for the decision – the Council is required to review its Local Plan at least every 5 years.

Note:  *Report previously circulated, copy attached to minutes.