Issue - meetings

To receive and consider report 30/06 of the Deputy Director (Planning and Community Strategy). 

Introduction and Report Summary

The draft Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West, (the South West Plan) has been published for consultation purposes. The document looks ahead to 2026, and will supersede the current Regional Planning Guidance for the South West (RPG10). Although the Vale is not in the South West, the Vale’s western boundary is co-terminous with part of the south west’s regional boundary. Although in the area covered by the South West Plan, the town of Swindon is just ‘over the border’ and therefore policies in the South West Plan relating to the Borough and its surrounding area are of particular significance to this Council.

The documents published for consultation include; the draft Regional Spatial Strategy itself, an Implementation Plan; a Strategic Sustainability Assessment; and a Pre-Submission Consultation Statement. 

These documents are currently held in the Planning Strategy team. Please contact Nick Burroughs or Katie Barrett if you wish to inspect them. 

The consultation period runs from 6 June to 30 August 2006. 

In summary, Swindon is identified in the South West Plan as one of 21 ‘Strategically Significant Cities and Towns’.  Relevant policies are included to, among other things; realise and develop the role of Swindon as a service and employment centre providing a high quality lifestyle for residents within and adjoining the town (SR1), ensure that social, cultural and educational requirements for the Swindon sub-region are provided for (SR7), maximise economic opportunities within the Swindon travel to work area (SR8), make the best use of land for development by the provision of a strategic urban extension on the eastern side of Swindon to the north and south of the A420 (SR9). 

This report summarises key elements of the proposed strategy and outlines suggested responses to the South West Regional Assembly. 

The Contact Officer for this report is Nick Burroughs, Planning Strategy team, tel. 01235 520202 extn 496.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Strategic and Local Plan Advisory Group recommends the Executive to make representations on the South West Plan set out as comments in bold in Section 4 of this report.  

(Time: 4.03pm to 4.10pm)

(CouncillorBob Johnston declared a personal interest in this item and in accordance with Standing Order 34, he remained in the meeting during its consideration.) 

The Executive received and considered report 30/06 of the Deputy Director (Planning and Community Strategy), regarding the draft Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West.  This was known as the South West Plan.  It had been published for consultation purposes. 

The document looked ahead to 2026, and would supersede the current Regional Planning Guidance for the South West (RPG10).  Although the Vale was not in the South West region, the Vale’s western boundary met the South West’s regional boundary.  Therefore policies in the South West Plan relating to Swindon and its surrounding area were of significance to this Council.  Comments on the Plan were required by 30 August 2006. 

Swindon had been identified in the South West Plan as one of 21 ‘Strategically Significant Cities and Towns’.  Relevant policies included: realising and developing the role of Swindon as a service and employment centre providing a high quality lifestyle for residents within and adjoining the town; ensuring that social, cultural and educational requirements for the Swindon sub-region were provided for; maximising economic opportunities within the Swindon travel to work area; and making the best use of land for development by the provision of a strategic urban extension on the eastern side of Swindon to the north and south of the A420. 

The report summarised the key elements of the proposed strategy and outlined suggested responses to the South West Regional Assembly.  The Strategic and Local Planning Advisory Group had considered the report in detail at it meeting on 26 June 2006.  The Advisory Group agreed with the majority of the suggested responses but strengthened a few points.  These were set out in a briefing note tabled at the meeting.  The Executive concurred with these views.

RESOLVED

that the Executive makes representations on the South West Plan set out as comments in bold in Section 4 of report 30/06, subject to the following changes:

(i)         paragraph 4.12 should be amended to read "…just under 10%...";

(ii)        para. 4.18 should be embellished to reflect the difficulty in achieving the required rate of development in Swindon in the past;

(iii)       there should be a mention of the impact of the Swindon proposals on the market town of Faringdon and the surrounding villages;

(iv)       para. 4.31 should replicate the wording used in the South East Plan about the reservoir proposal.