Decision details

To seek approval from Cabinet to go out for consultation on the Local Planning Document Issues and Options and the separate Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report.

1. To agree the Local Planning Document Issues and Options document and the separate Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report for a six week period of consultation.

2. To authorise the Corporate Director in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Development to approve any drafting or other minor editing changes and update the documents where necessary prior to them being published for consultation.

3. To note that the cost of the examination will be funded from the Local Development Framework Reserve.  Other costs will be met from existing budgets.

The production of the Local Planning Document is key in terms of meeting the Borough Council’s statutory duties and pro-growth agenda.  The regulations impose a specific requirement for the Borough Council to undertake early consultation during the preparation of development plan documents. 

The Local Planning Document will form part of the statutory Development Plan that all local planning authorities must prepare by law.  There is an option to prepare the Local Planning Document as a single document (as is proposed) or as two separate documents to address site specific allocations and development management policies.  It is considered that these two areas are best combined in order to ensure that issues are addressed in a comprehensive manner and for subsequent ease of use.  This approach accords with best practice. 

An alternative option is for a different document to be produced.  However, the content of the proposed Local Planning Document has been scoped against the appropriate planning context (set out in paragraph 4 of this report) and has been prepared on the basis of asking straightforward questions on whether to continue with the existing policy approach or adopt a different policy approach.

Another alternative option is not to approve a Local Planning Document for consultation and instead rely on planning policies provided by the National Planning Policy Framework and the Aligned Core Strategy.  However, the Aligned Core Strategy provides a broad strategic planning framework and its implementation relies on supporting detailed planning policies to be included in subsequent development plan documents.  The National Planning Policy Framework gives broad policy guidance and identifies the scope of policies that should be set out in the Local Plan and states clearly that where plans are silent on a particular issue then there is a presumption in favour of sustainable development.  Consequently, this option would mean less planning control over site allocations and over day to day planning applications.

None.