Agenda item

REPORT OF THE SERVICE DIRECTOR – REGULATORY

To provide Members with a summary of the Examination of the Local Plan and the Inspector’s Report and to seek approval for the final version of the Local Plan to be presented to Full Council with a recommendation for its adoption

RESOLVED: That Cabinet recommends to Full Council that:

(1)        The outcome of the examination set out in the Inspector’s Report (IR), attached as Appendix 1, along with his recommended Main Modifications o the Plan, attached as Appendix 2, be noted.

(2)        The final version of the North Hertfordshire Local Plan 2011-2031 (‘the Local Plan’) attached as Appendix3, incorporating both the Inspector’s Main Modifications and the proposed Additional Modifications, attached as Appendix 4, be adopted as part of the statutory Development Plan for the District.

(3)        The Policies Map, illustrated by Appendices 5a to 5g, is adopted in order to give geographical effect to the policies of the Local Plan.

(4)        The updated Local Development Scheme, attached as Appendix 6, be approved.

(5)        Delegated authority is granted to the Service Director – Regulatory in consultation with the Executive Member for Planning and Transport to make any minor non-material corrections (including but not limited to cosmetic additions or presentational alterations) to the adopted Local Plan or the adopted Policies Map as considered necessary for their publication and publicity in accordance with the relevant regulations.

REASON FOR DECISION:

To provide the District with an up-to-date Local Plan in accordance with the requirements of national legislation and policy.

Audio Recording: : 4 minutes 43 seconds

The Executive Member for Planning and Transport, Councillor Ruth Brown, presented the report entitled North Hertfordshire Local Plan 2011-2031 and highlighted the following key points:

·        The Local Plan was sent for examination in June 2017, the Main Modifications were approved in December 2018. Both of those dates were prior to the current administration;

·        The Plan has gone through several rounds of public consultations and hearings over a period of 4 years;

·        There was an Extraordinary Council meeting in October 2020 to look at Greenbelt allocations in relation to the reduction of housing need;

·        The Inspector’s Report keeps all of the greenbelt housing sites that were originally allocated as well as a significant new area being allocated as Greenbelt;

·        The government is requiring all Local Authorities to have an adopted Local Plan by December 2023. Adopting this Plan gives the Council significantly more control over the development in the District;

·        The report also recommends that Cabinet approves the updated Local Development Scheme, which includes an early review which should start by December 2023.

In response to questions from Councillor Ian Albert, Councillor Ruth Brown, the Monitoring Officer and the Strategic Planning Manager respectively, advised:

·        The Council is required to start the review by December 2023, it can be started earlier. It’s important to recognise it’s a big undertaking and needs an effective review;

·        The Extraordinary Council meeting is on 8 November, a legal basis for the recommendation has been set to adopt a plan. If the plan wasn’t accepted the Council would be potentially subject to judicial review by interested developers;

·        The review of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty is at an early stage at the moment; AONBs are amended through a different process, so can be changed outside of the Local Plan cycle and relevant policies would be applied to the amended area.

Councillor Ruth Brown proposed and Councillor Ian Albert seconded.

The following Members took part in the debate:

·        Councillor Ian Albert

·        Councillor Judi Billing

The Chair invited Councillor David Levett to address the Committee and made the following points:

·        Councillor Levett had been involved in the production of the Local Plan since 2011;

·        This plan is not perfect, it’s a work in progress and something that is going to change all the time;

·        The Council has seen through the Planning Control Committee the issues of not having a Local Plan.

The Chair and Councillor David Levett extended their thanks to the officers involved in the work to produce the Local Plan, often working early in the morning to late at night as well as thanking the Members of the previous administration in beginning this process.

Following a vote, it was:

RESOLVED: That Cabinet recommends to Full Council that:

(1)        The outcome of the examination set out in the Inspector’s Report (IR), attached as Appendix 1, along with his recommended Main Modifications of the Plan, attached as Appendix 2, be noted.

(2)        The final version of the North Hertfordshire Local Plan 2011-2031 (‘the Local Plan’) attached as Appendix 3, incorporating both the Inspector’s Main Modifications and the proposed Additional Modifications, attached as Appendix 4, be adopted as part of the statutory Development Plan for the District.

(3)        The Policies Map, illustrated by Appendices 5a to 5g, is adopted in order to give geographical effect to the policies of the Local Plan.

(4)        The updated Local Development Scheme, attached as Appendix 6, be approved.

(5)        Delegated authority is granted to the Service Director – Regulatory in consultation with the Executive Member for Planning and Transport to make any minor non-material corrections (including but not limited to cosmetic additions or presentational alterations) to the adopted Local Plan or the adopted Policies Map as considered necessary for their publication and publicity in accordance with the relevant regulations.

REASON FOR DECISION:

To provide the District with an up-to-date Local Plan in accordance with the requirements of national legislation and policy.