Decision details

(Time: 3.28pm to 3.33pm)

The Executive received and considered report 95/08 of the Deputy Director (Planning and Community Strategy) regarding the need to review the Local Development Scheme.  The scheme set the overall timetable for producing the Local Development Framework documents.  The current scheme had been agreed by the Government in May 2007.  However, it was important that it was updated as it informed the public about the timescale for the production of documents.  One element of the Planning and Housing Delivery Grant was dependent on councils meeting their key milestones set out in the Local Development Scheme.  It was noted that the reason behind the revision was the extra work the Government now the required councils to do; originally the requirement had not been so onerous.  A draft of the revised scheme had been considered and approved by the Strategic and Local Planning Advisory Group.  The Advisory Group had recommended the scheme’s approval by the Executive for submission to the Government Office. 

The revised scheme had taken account of the following:

·      The Government expected the Local Development Framework’s Core Strategies to contain more information about place shaping and include strategic sites for development.  More evidence had to be gathered than previously envisaged and there had been delays in obtaining responses from statutory consultees

·      The Government had merged the issues and options stage with the preferred options stage and introduced consultation on the submission document before it was submitted to the Secretary of State.  All of this would also require changes to the Statement of Community Involvement

·      No bids had been received from consultants to prepare the Design Guide, resulting in a re-writing of the brief and a delay

·      A new supplementary planning document had to be added to the scheme on sustainable construction and resource efficient building

The amended scheme had set out more realistic dates and avoided key consultations around the local elections in June 2009 (County Council) and May 2011 (District Council).   The Core Strategy would be adopted in June 2011 and the Managing Development document would be adopted in August 2012. 

Members also noted that the Council had received a request from Thames Valley Police to secure financial contributions towards their services and facilities.  An assessment was taking place of the need for and timing of such guidance, and whether resources would be available to prepare and implement it.  The Strategic and Local Planning Advisory Group considered that a decision on whether to include this in the Local Development Scheme should be delegated to the Deputy Director (Planning and Community Strategy) in consultation with the Planning Portfolio Holder and Opposition Spokesman.  The Executive agreed to this delegation but considered that if extra work was required to prepare a supplementary planning document, it should be funded by the Police. 

RESOLVED

(a)       that the changes to the timetable for the preparation of the documents comprising the Local Development Framework be agreed, as set out in Appendix 1 to report 95/08, and that the Local Development Scheme, set out in Appendix 2 to the report, be submitted to the Government Office for approval;

(b)       that in the event that the Government Office requires changes to the Local Development Scheme, authority be delegated to the Deputy Director (Planning and Community Strategy) to:

(i)         make minor changes that do not affect the overall approach of the scheme;

(ii)        make more substantive changes in consultation with the Planning Portfolio Holder and Opposition Spokesman; and

(c)        that authority be delegated to the Deputy Director (Planning and Community Strategy), in consultation with the Planning Portfolio Holder and Opposition Spokesman, to decide the principle of whether to include a supplementary planning document for contributions towards new infrastructure for the Police arising from new development.