Agenda and minutes

To record the attendance of Substitute Members, if any, who have been authorised to attend in accordance with the provisions of Standing Order 17(1), with notification having been given to the proper Officer before the start of the meeting and to receive apologies for absence.

The attendance of Substitute Members who had been authorised to attend in accordance with the provisions of Standing Order 17(1) was recorded as referred to above with apologies for absence having been received from Councillors Richard Farrell, Richard Gibson, Monica Lovatt, Jim Moley, Margaret Turner and Pam Westwood. 

To receive any declarations of Personal or Personal and Prejudicial Interests in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting. 

In accordance with Part 2 of the Local Code of Conduct and the provisions of Standing Order 34, any Member with a personal interest must disclose the existence and nature of that interest to the meeting prior to the matter being debated.  Where that personal interest is also a prejudicial interest, then the Member must withdraw from the room in which the meeting is being held and not seek improperly to influence any decision about the matter unless he/she has obtained a dispensation from the Standards Committee.

Councillor Briony Newport declared a personal and prejudicial interest in item 6 'Vale of White Horse Local Plan to 2011' as her son had objected to an element of the Plan (minute DC.19 refers).  Councillor Jerry Patterson declared a personal interest in item 14 'Formal Consultation on the Draft South East Plan' as he was a member of the South East England Regional Assembly (SEERA), its Executive and its Regional Planning Committee (minute DC.20 refers).  Councillor Roz Smith declared a personal interest in item 14 also as she was an Oxfordshire County Councillor. 

To receive notification of any matters, which the Chair determines, should be considered as urgent business and the special circumstances, which have made the matters urgent, and to receive any announcements from the Chair.

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Any statements and/or petitions from the public under Standing Order 32 will be made or presented at the meeting.

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Any questions from members of the public under Standing Order 32 will be asked at the meeting.

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To receive and consider report 7/06 of the Deputy Director (Planning and Community Strategy) and the recommendations of the Strategic and Local Planning Advisory Group. 

(Councillor Briony Newport declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this item and in accordance with Standing Order 34, she left the meeting during consideration of her son's objection.) 

The Committee received and considered report 7/06 of the Deputy Director (Planning and Community Strategy), which set out the proposed response to the formal consultation on the Proposed Modifications to the Local Plan 2011.  The report set out the detailed responses from the public and consultees, together with the recommendations from the Planning officers.  The Committee also received recommendations from the Strategic and Local Planning Advisory Group that had met earlier in the evening.  Further objections from Persimmon Homes, Ashbury Parish Council and ProVision were reported also. 

The Committee had to make recommendations to the Executive and on to the Council on 14 June 2006 to amend or adopt the Local Plan.  Members noted that minor wording changes could be made without the need to re-advertise these and delay the Local Plan's adoption. 

The Committee carefully considered the Advisory Group's recommendations in respect of the responses set out in the report and the additional responses.  Some concern was expressed at the allocation of the two housing sites in North Hinksey adding to the existing flooding and drainage problems in the village.  Members were reminded that any planning application would have to include a flood prevention and drainage scheme.   Developers were likely to be responsible for funding such improvements. 

Members noted that the further submissions from ProVision, on the housing allocation for the former Dow site at Letcombe Regis, had been discussed at length by the Advisory Group, which had recommended that the housing allocation of 100 dwellings should not be amended further.  The Committee concurred with the Advisory Group's view.  However, it was considered that Counsel's opinion should be sought on the fall back position of employment use at the site.  This could be reported to the Executive on 2 June 2006. 

After careful consideration the Advisory Group concluded that there should be no further substantive changes to the Local Plan.  However, the following minor changes were suggested to the Deputy Director (Planning and Community Strategy) to be made prior to adoption of the plan:

·         Paragraph 5.24 of the Local Plan should be further amended to read 'The developer will also be required to fund…'

·         In relation to the housing site south of Lime Road, Botley, the officers will investigate the possibility of protecting trees on the boundary of the site

RESOLVED

(a)        that the Executive be recommended to recommend on to the Council to:

(i)         note the representations received on the Council’s decisions on the Inspector’s recommendations and the proposed modifications to the Local Plan and agree the officers’ observations and recommendations as amended;

(ii)        accept there is no justification for making further substantive changes to the Local Plan which would require the publication of further proposed modifications;

(iii)       delegate authority to the Deputy Director (Planning and Community Strategy) to make minor  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

To receive and consider report 8/06 of the Deputy Director (Planning and Community Strategy) and the recommendations of the Strategic and Local Planning Advisory Group. 

(Councillors Jerry Patterson and Roz Smith both declared personal interests in this item and in accordance with Standing Order 34, they remained in the meeting during its consideration.)

The Committee received and considered report 8/06 on the detail of the draft South East Plan, together with the officers’ comments and recommendations.  The Strategic and Local Planning Advisory Group had made recommendations to the Committee and these were reported at the meeting.  The Committee was asked to consider these recommendations and recommend on to the Executive on 2 June 2006 and the Council on 14 June 2006.  Comments on the draft Plan were required by the South East England Regional Assembly by 23 June 2006. 

The Committee agreed broadly with the report and supported the views expressed by the Advisory Group.  A number of changes were recommended by the Advisory Group to strengthen the Council's response.  The Committee agreed with these as set out below. 

RESOLVED

that the Executive be recommended to recommend on to the Council to make representations on the South East Plan as set out in Sections 4 and 5 of report 8/06, subject to the following amendments:

·         The bold-type response in paragraph 4.12 of the report should be amended in the second sentence to read more positively, stressing the significance placed on the economic impact of the Harwell and Milton Park employment sites and strongly encouraging the Government to invest in improving the infrastructure (i.e. the A34) to allow the economic potential of these key sites to be exploited more fully.

·         The bold-type response in paragraph 4.17 of the report should be strengthened to express the Council’s concern at the proposed enhanced status of Southampton Port and the consequential and urgent need for improvement to the A34 through the Vale District to cope with the traffic implications of the enhancement.  Care will need to be taken in improving the A34 to reduce the impact on local communities adjacent to and severed by the road.

·         There should be a level of flexibility between the housing requirement figures for the Central Oxfordshire area and the rest of the Vale District. 

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