Agenda item

Appended to this agenda is report 9/06 of the Strategic Director to the Strategic and Local Planning Advisory Group, which met on 24 May 2006 to consider this report in detail and make recommendations to the Executive.  These will circulated separately after the dispatch of this agenda. 

Introduction and Report Summary

The Statement of Community Involvement was submitted to the Secretary of State on the 10^th March 2006 and placed on deposit until 21^st April 2006.  This report summarises the representations received during the deposit period and Appendix A sets out the recommended response of the Council to the representations for consideration by the Inspector at the Examination.

The Contact Officer for this report is Grant Audley-Miller, Section Head (Environmental Planning & Conservation) 01235 540343.

Recommendations

That the Strategic and Local Planning Advisory Group recommend the Executive to:

(i)         Note the representations received in response to the submission of the Statement of Community Involvement,

(ii)        Forward Appendix A to the Planning Inspectorate as the Council’s response to the issues raised by the representations and possible changes to the final Statement of Community Involvement that would improve the document.

(Time: 3.53pm to 4.06pm)

Appended to the Executive's agenda was report 9/06 of the Strategic Director to the Strategic and Local Planning Advisory Group, which met on 24 May 2006, to consider the report in detail.  The report set out the detailed responses received from consultees and the public on the draft Statement of Community Involvement, part of the Local Development Framework, together with the recommendations from the Planning Officers.  The Advisory Group made recommendations to the Executive.  These were circulated separately as a briefing note after the despatch of the Executive's agenda. 

The Statement of Community Involvement had been submitted to the Secretary of State on 10 March 2006 and placed on deposit until 21 April 2006.  The report summarised the representations received during the deposit period and Appendix A set out the recommended response of the Council to the representations for consideration by the Inspector at the Examination or hearing. 

Members noted that objectors had the right to ask for a hearing.  One objector had done so.  The Planning Inspectorate had asked the objector to agree to the examination to be carried out by written representations.  The objector, Mr Hocken, had indicated that he might be willing to consider the Planning Inspectorate's request if the Council would indicate how it would address his concerns.  Mr Hocken's objections were set out in the appendix to the report.  In response, the Advisory Group had recommended that the following should be added to the schedule:

"The Council would have no objection to the addition of a new bullet point to paragraph 6.22 to read:

·         'This will make clear to applicants the Council's requirements for technical information that will be necessary to deal promptly and efficiently with planning applications.  This could include the need for traffic assessment, air quality assessments and design and access statements, where appropriate.' 

The addition of a new sentence to the end of paragraph 8.4 was also recommended as follows:

"In future this could include traffic assessments, air quality assessments and design and access statements."

MrHocken had also raised concerns about the summary of his views regarding the newspaper advertisements and suggested that the summary was expanded to read:

"Considers the choice of a single newspaper for the advertisement of formal notices in relation to the SCI to be inappropriate for purpose and requests reconsideration of this aspect."

The Advisory Group agreed to these changes and noted that the officers were recommending that the Inspectorate should be advised that the Council would have no objection to adding the Herald Series and Oxford Times to the list of newspapers in which notices would be placed.  The Executive supported these views. 

RESOLVED

(a)       that the representations received in response to the submission of the Statement of Community Involvement be noted; and

(b)               that Appendix A of report 9/06 be forwarded to the Planning Inspectorate as the Council’s response to the issues raised by the representations and possible changes to the final Statement of Community Involvement that would improve the document, subject to the following amendments:

·         Reference to OxfordshireCounty Council being the strategic planning authority be removed.

·         The following be added to the schedule:

"The Council would have no objection to the addition of a new bullet point to paragraph 6.22 to read:

·         'This will make clear to applicants the Council's requirements for technical information that will be necessary to deal promptly and efficiently with planning applications.  This could include the need for traffic assessment, air quality assessments and design and access statements, where appropriate.'

·         The addition of a new sentence to the end of paragraph 8.4 is also recommended as follows:

"In future this could include traffic assessments, air quality assessments and design and access statements."

·         The summary of Mr Hocken's views regarding the newspaper advertisements should be expanded to read:

"Considers the choice of a single newspaper for the advertisement of formal notices in relation to the SCI to be inappropriate for purpose and requests reconsideration of this aspect."