Agenda item

To receive a report on the Joint Strategy from the Director of Place.  

Cabinet had before it a report * from the Director of Place about the Joint Strategy for East Devon, Exeter, Mid Devon and Teignbridge.

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Regeneration outlined the contents of the report with particular reference to following:

·         This report sought the approval of a Joint Strategy for the East Devon, Exeter, Mid Devon and Teignbridge planning areas.

·         The Joint Strategy, called ‘Our Shared Coordinates’, had been prepared by consultants LDA Design. This followed decisions taken by each of the four Councils in 2021 with support from Devon County Council. It showed a continued commitment to collaborative working and joined up thinking across the area on strategic matters, and compliance with the duty to cooperate.

·         The Joint Strategy was a non-statutory document that reflected the ambitions and proposals of existing and emerging Local Plans. It covered a range of strategic planning matters and included a high-level list of infrastructure matters that had cross-boundary significance for supporting the delivery of planned new homes, jobs, services, transport and other development.  As a non-statutory document it was effectively a sub-regional plan that could now be used to support our own Local Plan and the Local Plans of three other planning authorities.  The abolition of the Local Enterprise Partnership increased the need for such an approach.

·         The Joint Strategy did not include planning policies or site allocations, and would have no weight in making planning decisions. However, the informal document would benefit the four Council’s through helping to establish a recognisable ‘brand’ and serve as a prospectus for the area, which may assist when making bids for Government (or other) infrastructure and delivery funding.

·         The Strategy makes specific reference to the ‘strategic intervention’ required at Junction 28 and this document would therefore be helpful to us as we continued to seek funding to deliver both the Cullompton relief road and the upgrade to Junction 28.

·         The Joint Strategy had been subject to a focused consultation with key stakeholders including statutory bodies and agencies, transport and utilities infrastructure providers and other organisations and had been amended to reflect comments received.

·         The Joint Strategy had already been considered and approved by the relevant committee of the other three Councils, those being East Devon, Exeter and Teignbridge.

Discussion took place regarding:

·         Exeter City Council, East Devon and Teignbridge District Councils were taking equivalent reports through their committee processes in late 2023 had this taken place?

·         Strategic active travel routes and trails and to see more of this, had there been group work previously?

·         The Cullompton relief road would be the centre project.

·         The exceptional place figure of 21,000 jobs between 2020-2040, was this solely Exeter as further on stated different figures?

·         Blackdown Hill and East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty had changed to Blackdown Hill and East Devon National landscape.

·         An update in the Joint Strategy to change the above names and Bio Diversity Duty.

·         Connectivity Plan and the lack of cycling routes in the rural areas.

·         The Joint Strategy had no relationship to Greater Exeter Strategic Plan.

RESOLVED that

The Joint Strategy (Appendix 1) subject to this being agreed by the partner authorities, with delegated authority given to the Director of Place in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Regeneration to make any amendments arising from the resolution of the other authorities provided these do not materially alter the content of the document.

(Proposed by Cllr S Keable and seconded by Cllr S Clist)

Reason for the Decision:

The need for the Council to work collaboratively with neighbouring authorities on strategic planning matters is enshrined in the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, paragraphs 24-27 of the National Planning Policy Framework 2023 and the Planning Practice Guidance. These set out that local authorities have a legal duty to cooperate with each other and other organisations to seek to address strategic planning matters that are likely to have an impact beyond the immediate district. In particular Section 33A of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 sets out that to maximise effective working on strategic matters throughout the preparation of plans, authorities have a duty to engage constructively, actively and on an ongoing basis. The Joint Strategy helps to demonstrate compliance with this legislation. It should be noted however that the Joint Strategy itself is a non-statutory, informal document. It does not include policies or site allocations and will have no weight in making planning decisions.

The Joint Strategy includes illustrative, schematic diagrams and maps showing the spatial strategy for the area and the locations of major growth. These maps do not show specific allocations. The recommendation to approve the Joint Strategy should not be interpreted to suggest, that the Council supports specific allocations or proposed allocations which may be included in the local plans of neighbouring authorities.

Note * Report previously circulated.