Agenda item

To consider a report of the Director of City Development on public consultation into the Post Submission Schedule of Changes regarding the Natural Resources and Waste Development Plan Document.

The Director of City Development submitted a report on public consultation into the Post Submission Schedule of Changes regarding the Natural Resources and Waste Development Plan Document.

Appended to the report were copies of the following documents for the information/comment of the meeting:-

• Letter from Mr Middleton to Leeds City Council dated 14^th December 2011 (Appendix 1 refers)
• Letter from Leeds City Council to Mr Middleton dated 18^th January 2012 (Appendix 2 refers)
• Letter from Mr Middleton to Leeds City Council dated 8^th February 2012

(Appendix 3 refers)

• Schedule of Post Submission Changes including maps (Appendix 4 refers)

The Chair welcomed the following officers to present the report and to respond to Members’ questions and comments:-

-  David Feeney, Head of Forward Planning and Implementation, City Development

-  Max Rathmell, Minerals, Waste and Contaminated Land Manager, City Development

Prior to discussing the issue, the Head of Forward Planning and Implementation outlined the background issues and process undertaken to date.

It was noted that this report would be considered at the Executive Board meeting on 11^th April 2012 and that a further sustainability appraisal of the proposals would be submitted to Members prior to Executive Board.

It was further noted that a schedule of any further changes would be collated in due course and that further waste guidance would be issued later in the year.

In concluding his presentation, the Head of  Forward Planning and Implementation outlined the key issues in the post Submission Schedule of Changes and sought Members specific views on the content.

Detailed discussion ensued on the contents of the report and appendices.

In summary, the key areas of discussion were:-

• clarification of the policy specific to coal in relation to development sites/non-development sites as outlined in section 3.6.3 of the report
• clarification whether there would be a separate policy for safeguarding coal
• clarification of the changes relating to Minerals 2: Mineral Safeguarding Areas (MSA) – Sand and Gravel
• clarification of the latest developments relating to Midgeley Farm. 
• clarification of the protection of wharves and rail sidings in relation to the principle of Policy Minerals 14
• clarification of what would happen to quarries that needed to be filled to restore them when there was insufficient waste to do so
• the need to take into consideration the impact of landfill tax and the shortage of waste, and that the remedy was to vary the restoration conditions to provide for a different final landform at quarries free of steep edges.

Arising from discussions and points of clarification, the Minerals, Waste and Contaminated Land Manager provided the meeting with specific information relating to the above issues and also regarding the Minerals 2 Mineral Safeguarding Area Policy.

RESOLVED-

a)  That the contents of the report and appendices be noted.

b)  That Executive Board be asked to agree the Post Submission Schedule of Changes for a six week period of public consultation, and to authorise the Director of City Development to take such steps as he considers necessary to progress the Development Plan Document (DPD) in the light of any representations received and the Inspector’s considerations of these, prior to the Inspector issuing the report.