Issue - meetings

To seek agreement to consult on the local plan regulation 19 pre-submission version.

In moving the recommendations within the report, the Executive member will propose an additional motion, thereby moving the following:

“That Council approves

(i)            The Council notes with grave concern the “Build Build Build” agenda of the Conservative government who are insisting that Hinckley & Bosworth allocates 9,000 houses in the period up to 2039;

(ii)          The publication of the pre-submission draft of the Hinckley & Bosworth Local Plan and supporting documents for consultation during the period 2 February 2022 to 16 March 2022 in accordance with the Town and Country Planning Regulations (Local Development) (England) 2004 (as amended);

(iii)         The submission of the Local Plan and supporting documents to the Secretary of State for examination in public following analysis of the representations received during the consultation period;

(iv)         Delegation of responsibility for minor drafting errors, factual updates, topographical errors, drafting or proposals map and desktop publishing to the Director (Environment and Planning) in consultation with the Executive member for Planning.

Members received a report which sought approval to consult on the local plan pre-submission version. During discussion, reference was made to the following:

·         The importance of education and other infrastructure provision

·         The challenges in delivering the sustainable urban extensions

·         The importance of aligning neighbourhood plans and the local plan

·         Specific sites that could be discussed further in the consultation period.

It was moved by Councillor Bill and seconded by Councillor Bray that the recommendations within the report be approved.

Councillor Bray along with six further councillors, requested that voting on the motion be recorded. The vote was recorded as follows:

Councillors Bill, Bray, Cartwright, J Crooks, W Crooks, Findlay, Flemming, Gibbens, Glenville, Hollick, Lynch, L Mullaney, M Mullaney, Nichols, Pendlebury, Sheppard-Bools, Walker, Webber-Jones and P Williams voted FOR the motion (19);

Councillors C Allen, R Allen, Boothby, Collett, Cook, Ladkin, Morrell, O’Shea and H Williams voted AGAINST the motion (9);

Councillors Furlong and Lay abstained from voting.

The motion was declared CARRIED and it was

RESOLVED –

(i)            The Council notes with grave concern the “Build Build Build” agenda of the Conservative government who are insisting that Hinckley & Bosworth allocates 9,000 houses in the period up to 2039;

(ii)          The publication of the pre-submission draft of the Hinckley and Bosworth Local Plan and supporting documents be approved for consultation between the period 2 February 2022 to 16 March 2022 in accordance with the Town and Country Planning Regulations (Local Development) (England) 2004 (as amended);

(iii)         The submission of the Local Plan and supporting documents to the Secretary of State be approved for examination in public following analysis of the representations received during the consultation period;

(iv)         Delegated authority to the Director (Environment & Planning) in consultation with the Executive member for Planning be approved for minor drafting errors, factual updates, topographical errors, drafting of proposals map and desktop publishing.

To update members on progress in relation to the preparation of the emerging local plan and to present the housing and employment land allocations proposed for inclusion in the submission version of the local plan.

The Scrutiny Commission was provided with an update on progress with the preparation of the emerging local plan and the housing and employment land allocations proposed for inclusion in the submission version of the local plan. During discussion and in response to members’ questions, the following points were made:

·         There would be no weight attached to the local plan until the submission version was signed off by Council

·         Members had had the opportunity to view the developing plan at the Planning Policy Working Group but attendance had been poor

·         Some members were disappointed with the site allocations and designation of key rural settlements

·         The two sustainable urban extensions (SUEs) were still in the plan but would not be fully delivered within this local plan period

·         The notion of a garden village could not be included in the plan as it would require a significant amount of detail but should a proposal come forward, it could be explored at a later date and could be included in a development plan document at that time

·         The process undertaken in relation to the local plan was good practice and had support from the Planning Advisory Service and the government’s Planning Inspectorate service.

Members were reminded that the report was an update and not a the full local plan document, which would be brought to members in due course. It was also suggested that members could arrange to discuss specific sites with an officer.

It was suggested that it would be helpful to include a map which showed where sites already had planning permission. In response it was agreed that this could be provided at a future working group meeting.

Councillors Boothby and Findlay left the meeting at 8.05pm.