Agenda item

To receive a report from the Chief Planning Officer which provides an update on Neighbourhood Planning Activity in the Outer North East Area.

(Report attached)

The Neighbourhood Planning Officer submitted a report which provided an update on the neighbourhood planning activity in the Outer North East area of the city.

Members expressed disappointment that there was not an officer in attendance from Planning Services to speak on the report or address any questions raised by Members

The report highlighted:

Made Neighbourhood Plans in Outer North East:

·  Alwoodley

·  Bardsey-cum-Rigton

·  Barwick in Elmet and Scholes

·  Boston Spa

·  Bramham-cum-Oglethorpe

·  Clifford

·  Collingham

·  Linton

·  Scarcroft

·  Thorp Arch

·  Walton

Alwoodley

Stage: Made

·  The Parish Council is currently considering a review of the neighbourhood plan. Officers and a consultant have been advising on this.

Scarcroft

Stage: (Due to be) Made

·  The Scarcroft Neighbourhood Plan referendum took place on Thursday 14 February. The results were as follows:

·  The plan is due to be made by the Council. In accordance with Section 3 of the Neighbourhood Planning Act (2017), the Plan is already considered part of the development plan for the purposes of determining planning applications in the Scarcroft Neighbourhood Area.

·  In the lead up to the referendum, a resident in Scarcroft noticed that there were inaccuracies on the Scarcroft NP Policies Map (in relation to the detailed boundary of the UDP N37 Special Landscape Area and the line of Roman Road 72b). Officers consulted with the Parish Council and the consultant who prepared the map, who confirmed the inaccuracies to be cartographical errors. Following legal advice, and with the agreement of the Parish Council, a statement of notification to correct the inaccuracies was published on both Councils’ websites alongside a map showing the corrections. The policies map in the NP will be updated.

Bramham-cum-Oglethorpe

Stage: (Due to be) Made

·  The Bramham Neighbourhood Plan referendum took place on Thursday 14 February. The results were as follows:

·  The plan is due to be made by the Council. In accordance with Section 3 of the Neighbourhood Planning Act (2017), the Plan is already considered part of the development plan for the purposes of determining planning applications in the Bramham Neighbourhood Area.

Aberford and District

Stage: Examination

·  Ann Skippers has been appointed to undertake the examination of the Aberford Neighbourhood Plan.

·  Two of the submission documents have been updated to reflect the recent EU Court of Justice Judgement and subsequent amendments to the Neighbourhood Planning Basic Conditions.

·  With the agreement of Aberford Parish Council and the independent examiner, an additional 6 week publicity period on the updated documents is ongoing (Monday 18^th January – Monday 1^st April). The independent examiner has indicated that once the publicity period closes, the examination can proceed quickly. 

Wetherby

Stage: to be Submitted for Examination

·  Terry Heselton has been appointed as the independent examiner for the Plan.

·  The Consultation Statement and the Basic Conditions Statement are currently being modified.

·  It is hoped that the Town Council will be submitting the Plan in the summer.

Other Neighbourhood Plans in Preparation

·  Shadwell Parish Council conducted Pre-Submission Consultation on their Neighbourhood Plan between 22^nd October and 3^rd November 2018. Officers are now supporting the steering group in preparing the submission draft neighbourhood plan, in particular on the basic conditions statement and outstanding mapping issues. It is anticipated that the NP will be submitted to the Council in the spring.

·  East Keswick Parish Council have re-drafted their neighbourhood plan and are going to conduct the pre-submission consultation in April. Officers have recently met with the steering group to help finalise the pre-submission draft plan, provide support on basic conditions referencing and mapping. The pre-submission consultation process has been outlined and officers will be providing ongoing support in the build up to the formal consultation period.

·  Thorner Parish Council conducted informal consultation on an early draft plan in December and January. Officers have recently met with the Chair of the steering group to provide support on preparing the pre-submission draft plan and agree next steps.

Commenting on the Alwoodley Plan Councillor Buckley informed Members that it was his understanding that a resident of the Parish was currently undertaking a study into the possibility of another review. Councillor Buckley queried if another review was to take place, would another referendum also be required.

Commenting on the Scarcroft Plan, Councillor Robinson reported that in the lead up to the referendum, a resident in Scarcroft had noticed inaccuracies on the Scarcroft NP Policies Map. It was reported that following legal advice, and with the agreement of the Parish Council, a statement of notification to correct the inaccuracies was published on both Council’s website alongside a map showing the corrections. The policies map would also be updated. Councillor Robinson requested if he could be informed of the formal process when dealing with such inaccuracies.

Members expressed their congratulations to Bramham-cum-Oglethorpe Parish Council on the results of the referendum with 93.4% of the voters supporting the preparation of a Neighbourhood Plan

Officers suggested that in the absence of a representative from Planning Services any questions/ queries by Members would be fed back to the appropriate officer in order to provide the necessary response.

RESOLVED –

(i)  That the update on neighbourhood planning activity be noted and welcomed

(ii)  That the questions/ queries raised by Members, above, be referred to the Chief Planning Officer with a view to the necessary response being provided

(iii)  That a representative from Planning Services be in attendance at future meetings of this Committee where “Neighbourhood Planning” appears on the agenda.