Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Director of City Development presenting for approval the Core Strategy, together with the sustainability appraisal report and other relevant supporting documents for the purposes of public consultation and also to formally invite representations.

The Director of City Development submitted a report presenting the Core Strategy, together with the sustainability appraisal report and other relevant supporting documents, for the purposes of public consultation and the formally invitation of  representations. In determining this matter, the Board took into consideration all matters contained within the accompanying report.

Two pages from this report, which due to a printing error had been omitted from paper copies of the agenda, had been circulated to Board Members prior to the meeting for their consideration.

Responding to Members’ enquiries, the Board received clarification in respect of Protected Areas of Search (PAS) sites. In addition, having emphasised the importance of local community and local Ward Member input within the consultation process, the Board received reassurances in respect of such matters. 

Members’ concerns regarding the projected population growth forecasts, and the basing of the proposed strategy on such forecasts were acknowledged, however, emphasis was placed upon the need for a Core Strategy to be established, which would be done using the most up to date statistics available.

The Chief Executive emphasised the extent to which pre-consultation had already taken place during the compilation of the strategy. It was noted that during such consultation, the issue of windfalls, the importance of local distinctiveness and the need for further co-operation and communication between developers and the locality, were all matters which had been highlighted.

RESOLVED – That the publication of the Core Strategy, together with the sustainability appraisal report and other relevant supporting documents, for the purposes of public consultation and the formal invitation of representations, be approved.

(The Development Plan Document is prepared within the context of the LDF Regulations and statutory requirements, and as the DPD is a Budgetary and Policy Framework document, the matters referred to within this minute were not eligible for Call In)

(Under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.5, Councillor Finnigan required it to be recorded that he voted against the decisions referred to within this minute)