Decisions Made

A key legal requirement of the Local Plan Review is that it must be prepared in accordance with an up-to-date adopted Statement of Community Involvement (SCI). The current SCI was adopted by Cabinet on 8 February 2017 and was published to the website.
However, this document requires some factual update and minor amendments ahead of the Local Plan being considered by Cabinet/Full Council for Publication and Submission in order to reflect the current position:
• “other planning guidance documents” constituting SPD, and deleting reference to “other” planning guidance documents;
• the changes to the process and adoption procedures for planning documents so all SPDs are approved by Portfolio Holder, rather than some being Cabinet decisions;
• changes to the Development Management processes, including the introduction of pre-application charges
• some clarifications to the processes and procedures relating to Neighbourhood Planning and Neighbourhood Plans; and
• the change from “Forward” Planning to “Strategic” Planning.

To approve the Statement of Community Involvement November 2019 Factual Update as the council's adopted SCI in accordance with Section 18 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended).

A key legal requirement of the Local Plan Review is that it must be prepared in accordance with an up-to-date adopted Local Development Scheme (LDS). The current LDS was adopted in January 2019 by delegated decision by the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Economic Development, and was published to the council's website. This LDS set the overarching timetable for the Local Plan Review.
However, this document requires some factual update and minor amendments ahead of the Local Plan being considered by Cabinet/Full Council for Publication and Submission in order to reflect the current position:
1. Extending the time period covered from ‘2019 – 2021’ to ‘2020 – 2022’.
2. Updates to the description of the Local Plan Review (confirming the review as a formal update for the Plan) and the timetable in order to reflect the slight delay in the Reg. 18 consultation; the timetable going forward is as established in the January adopted LDS.
3. Updates to reflect the evidence base progress.
4. Inclusion of reference to potential other DPDs which may need to be progressed following the Local Plan Review.
5. Inclusion of reviews for a number of the adopted SPDs which will be affected by the Local Plan Review, and reference to updating the guidance on Planning Obligations (the intention will be to establish contributions through an Annex in the Local Plan, as this can no longer be done through SPD).