Agenda item

Report of Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Regeneration and Planning

Lead Cabinet member: Councillor Laurence O’Connor

Recommended to Full Council (Budget and policy framework):

(1) To approve the Local Plan Regulation 18: Towards a spatial strategy and policies directions document, as set out in Appendix 1, together with the supporting documents for public consultation in accordance with the regulations and the Local Development Scheme.

(2) To agree delegated authority to the Director of Regeneration and Planning, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Infrastructure to make any minor changes to the appearance, format and text of the Local Plan and supporting documents in the interests of clarity and accuracy prior to their publication for consultation.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Regeneration and Planning, seeking their recommendation to Full Council for a period of public consultation on the Regulation 18 Local Plan ‘Towards a Spatial Strategy and Policies Approaches’, and publication of supporting documents.

The Local Plan covers the area of the district for which the Council is the local planning authority. The area of the district covered by the South Downs National Park in not included in this Local Plan. The Local Development Scheme (December 2022) sets out the stages of public consultation in preparing the Local Plan and the Statement of Community Involvement sets out when and how the Council consult on planning matters.

The Spatial Strategy set out the policies and framework for new homes, employment space and community facilities across the district. The plans are evidence led, with the information gathered by council officers informing where development is appropriate and where is it not. Thanks were conveyed to officers for their work undertaken thus far.

Subject to consideration at Full Council at its meeting on 20 November, the public consultation was scheduled to run from 29 November 2023 to 8 February 2024 and include a range of opportunities for people to have their say, including local exhibitions across the district and online feedback. As part of the discussion, residents were urged to get involved with the next stage of consultation on future development in the district.

Policy and Performance Advisory Committee (PPAC), held on 7 November 2023 considered the report and were supportive of the officer recommendations in full. Councillor Brett, Chair of PPAC was in attendance to present PPAC’s discussion and questions raised at that meeting. It was advised that full responses to questions raised by PPAC would be responded to following the meeting.

Councillor MacCleary, Leader of the Opposition and Councillor Gauntlett, Chair of Audit and Governance Committee also addressed the Cabinet, supporting engagement in the consultation process.

Recommended to Full Council (Budget and policy framework):

(1) To approve the Local Plan Regulation 18: Towards a spatial strategy and policies directions document, as set out in Appendix 1, together with the supporting documents for public consultation in accordance with the regulations and the Local Development Scheme.

(2) To agree delegated authority to the Director of Regeneration and Planning, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Infrastructure to make any minor changes to the appearance, format and text of the Local Plan and supporting documents in the interests of clarity and accuracy prior to their publication for consultation.

Reasons for decisions:

The preparation of the Local Plan must be undertaken in accordance with the relevant regulations. This includes consultation at Regulation 18 of the Town and County Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended). The proposed consultation is at Regulation 18.

The consultation document sets out policy directions for policies to be developed further at the subsequent draft Local Plan stage. It also sets out the identified development needs of the plan area, and the Council’s proposed approach to meeting these needs within its plan area.

As part of this consultation, assessment material of land submitted in response to the ‘Call for Sites’ will be included. This assessment has drawn on the technical evidence produced to support this stage of the consultation as well as information that has been submitted by parties with an interest.