Issue - meetings

The report seeks approval to undertake public consultation on the BCP Local Plan Issues and Options Draft.

An Initial Local Plan Issues and Call for site’s consultation was undertaken in late 2019, this draft now identifies particular planning issues that need considering and suggests options to address those issues.

The consultation will seek the public and other stakeholders views on regenerating our town centres, meeting our housing and employment needs, managing the natural and built environment, promoting health and well-being, tackling climate change, reducing the need to travel and infrastructure provision. However, at this stage in the plan making process no decision is being made on detailed policy wording or development site allocations.

Following receipt of stakeholder representations the plan will be refined to form the Regulation 19 ‘local plan submission draft’ that will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for public examination during 2022.  

This consultation will take place under Regulation 18 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended) and Town and Country Planning Regulations (Local Planning) 2012 (as amended).

The Local Plan once formally adopted will form the statutory development plan (along with neighbourhood plans) for BCP and will be used to determine planning applications.

RESOLVED that: -

(a)           the BCP Local Plan Issues and Options Consultation Draft be approved for a minimum of 8 weeks public consultation in accordance with Regulation 18 of the Local Planning Regulations; and

(b)           Cabinet delegate authority to the Head of Planning in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Economy and Strategic Planning to make changes necessary to the plan prior to release for public consultation. Prior to the release of the plan for public consultation the Head of Planning and Portfolio Holder will take into account any recommendation from the Overview and Scrutiny Local Plan Working Group once they have met to consider the findings of the Local Housing Needs Assessment.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Regeneration, Economy and Strategic Planning

Reason

An up to date local plan will be essential for BCP in planning for future growth in a sustainable manner. Having an up to date planning framework reflecting current national policy will be more robust in determining planning applications and more efficient in terms of implementation through decisions on planning applications.

Public consultation is a key part of local plan preparation, feedback from the public and stakeholders will be considered in preparing the more formal regulation 19 submission local plan.

The Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Economy and Strategic Planning presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'D' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

Cabinet approval was sought to undertake public consultation on the BCP Local Plan Issues and Options Draft.

In relation to this Cabinet was advised that an Initial Local Plan Issues and Call for site’s consultation was undertaken in late 2019, and that this draft now identifies particular planning issues that need considering and suggests options to address those issues.

Further to this Cabinet was informed that the consultation will seek the public and other stakeholders views on regenerating our town centres, meeting our housing and employment needs, managing the natural and built environment, promoting health and well-being, tackling climate change, reducing the need to travel and infrastructure provision. However, at this stage in the plan making process no decision is being made on detailed policy wording or development site allocations.

Cabinet was advised that following receipt of stakeholder representations the plan will be refined to form the Regulation 19 ‘local plan submission draft’ that will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for public examination during 2022.  

Cabinet was further advised that this consultation will take place under Regulation 18 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended) and Town and Country Planning Regulations (Local Planning) 2012 (as amended).

In addition, Cabinet was informed that the Local Plan once formally adopted will form the statutory development plan (along with neighbourhood plans) for BCP and will be used to determine planning applications.

The Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Board addressed the Cabinet advising that the Board had had a robust discussion around the term ‘city region’ and that the majority of the Board had agreed the subsequent recommendation from the Board on this matter.

In relation to this the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Board advised that at their recent meeting the Board had resolved to accept the recommendations from the Local Plan Working Group and to make the following recommendation to Cabinet in respect of this item.

1. That the word “city” be removed from the document so that the vision states, “We aim for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole to be the UK’s newest region, brimming with prospects, positivity and pride.”

2.    That, to Reflect the Portfolio Holder’s statement at Full Council on 22 June 2021 in response to a question regarding the use of the Standard Method’s 2014 data, Cabinet should await the initial findings of the Housing Needs Assessment, which will then be considered at a further meeting of the Local Plan Working Group, before the Issues and Options document is put out to consultation.  The HNA will provide vital information to feed into the consultation relating to housing need within BCP. Cabinet will delegate any changes to the local plan consultation document to the Head of Planning and the Portfolio Holder, taking into account any recommendation from  ...  view the full minutes text for item 34

To consider the following Regeneration, Economy and Strategic Planning related reports scheduled for Cabinet consideration on 28 July 2021:

•   BCP Local Plan Issues and Options Consultation

The O&S Board is asked to scrutinise the reports and make recommendations to Cabinet as appropriate.

Cabinet member invited to attend for this item: Councillor Philip Broadhead, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Economy and Strategic Planning

The Cabinet report for this item is included with the agenda for consideration by the Overview and Scrutiny Board.

BCP Local Plan – Issues and Options Consultation – The Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Economy and Strategic Planning introduced the report. A copy of which had been circulated to Board members and a copy of which appears at Appendix B to these minutes in the Minute Book. The Portfolio Holder outlined the key points from the report and the Board discussed a number of issues including:

·     That the consultation was not an assessment on what the Council thought the local plan should be. The consultation was about asking the public for views on what should be done. Paragraph 10 of the report included detail on informing the local plan which would come next.

·     A Board member asked about the consultation process and what was planned, it was felt that roadshows were a crucial tool in explaining issues to the public in a much easier way than purely online. It was suggested that plans should be made to allow roadshows to go ahead if further covid restrictions were introduced, outdoors if necessary. It was noted that a number of lessons could be learnt from other consultations and the consultation plan was being fully considered in conjunction with the Communication Team.

·     Air quality was an issue specifically highlighted within the opening infographic but there was very little focus on this within the remainder of the paper.  The Portfolio Holder noted that there could be a temptation to include wider issues within the consultation document, but the focus needed to be on issues directly related to the Local Plan. Air quality was a key consideration for the human population.

·     Whether there had been any consideration given to asking Dorset to allocate land towards the renewable energy strategy.  It was noted that the renewable energy strategy was a more corporate focused document which may address related issues.

·     A number of Councillors had noted minor errors or typos within the document. Officers confirmed that the document would be fully reviewed prior to publication and these could be pocked up and worked on.

·     A Councillor commented that some of the sites were listed in a way which may cause misunderstanding, for example the Christchurch Police station site. It was noted that these were due to specific planning consideration which may not be obvious to members of the public. However, the Planning Policy Manager advised that it was important that anything included within the document was accurate when it was issued and that any potential sites were clearly and accurately described for members of the public. This would be looked at further prior to publication.

·     It was noted by one Board member that there was major gap in the document relating to creativity and culture. There was nothing related to the more general push to strengthen and establish more creative industries in the area. The Board member asked whether the Cultural Action Group had been consulted and whether anything on the specific cultural quarters in Bournemouth, Poole and Boscombe would be included. There was a lack of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 47