Agenda and minutes

Agreed.

Received a presentation from David Joyce of the Sustainability Group within the Regeneration and Environment Department explaining the concept of the Local Development Framework (LDF) and summarising the key points on which community and stakeholder consultation will be undertaken over the next few months as part of the development of the Council’s LDF.

The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 places a duty on all local authorities to produce a LDF.  The Council’s LDF will, once adopted, replace the current Unitary Development Plan (adopted in 1995) as the key planning policy and guidance document for the Borough and will link to a number of the Council’s other plans and programmes.  A major feature of the approach to the LDF is the greater involvement of the community, stakeholders and commercial interests in the development of the issues within the LDF and how they should be addressed. 

(A copy of the presentation is available on the Council’s website)

Received a report on the Local Development Framework (LDF) draft Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) which sets out:

·  The Council’s vision and standards for community involvement

·  A description of the local community, identifying groups who may have been under represented

·  How the community will be involved in preparing LDF documents

·  Suitable methods for involving the community in each LDF document

·  How the community will be involved in decisions on planning applications

·  What resources will be provided to carry out community involvement on the LDF

The report included the full draft SCI and a summary document, both of which will be used in the public consultation exercise, and also a summary of the work carried out by Groundwork East London in the production, on behalf of the Council, of the draft SCI.

Agreed, in order to progress the Council’s strategy for increasing community and stakeholder participation in the local planning processes and, in doing so, assist in achieving the Community Priority of ‘Promoting Equal Opportunities and Celebrating Diversity’, to:

(i)  Approve the LDF draft Statement of Community Involvement documents, as attached to the report as Appendices 1 and 2 respectively, for public consultation; and

(ii)  Authorise the Head of Planning and Transportation to make any necessary non-material amendments to the documents prior to the commencement of the public consultation exercise.

Received a report on the Local Development Framework (LDF) Issues and Options Papers that have been prepared in relation to the following key topics:

·  Vision for planning our Borough

·  Site allocation

·  Environment

·  Community

·  Housing

·  Employment

·  Town centres and retail issues

·  Transport

·  Your neighbourhood

These papers will form the basis of the first stage of community and stakeholder involvement in the production of the three main LDF documents, namely “The Core Strategy”, “The Borough-Wide Development Policies” and “Site Specific Allocations”.

Considered each of the nine papers and made a number of observations and suggestions in respect of the specific questions posed.

Agreed, in order to facilitate the first stage of consultation in relation to the preparation of the Council’s Local Development Framework and in line with requirements under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, to:

(i)  Approve the LDF Issues and Options Papers, as attached as Appendices 1 - 9 of the report, and the summary of the LDF Issues and Options Papers (Appendix 10) for public consultation; and

(ii)  Authorise the Head of Planning and Transportation to make any necessary non-material changes to these documents prior to the commencement of the public consultation exercise, including appropriate amendments arising from the discussions at this meeting.

Received a report on the Local Development Framework (LDF) Part One Scoping Report, which represents the first key stage of sustainability appraisal of the LDF documents, and proposals to progress Part Two Scoping Reports for each of the Development Plan documents within the LDF.

Agreed, in line with requirements under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, to:

(i)  Approve the Part One Scoping Report for the Sustainability Appraisal of the LDF, together with its non-technical summary, as attached at Appendix 1 to the report, for public consultation;

(ii)  Authorise the Head of Planning and Transportation to make any necessary non-material changes to these documents prior to the commencement of the public consultation exercise; and

(iii)  Authorise the Head of Planning and Transportation to develop and undertake consultation on Part Two Scoping Reports, which will be specific to each individual LDF document.

Received a report on the Local Development Framework (LDF) Annual Monitoring Report for the period 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005.

Agreed, in order to meet statutory deadlines, to:

(i)  Approve the LDF Annual Monitoring Report for 2004/05, as set out in Appendix A to the report, for submission to the Secretary of State by 31 December 2005; and

(ii)  Authorise the Head of Planning and Transportation to make any necessary non-material changes to the document prior to its submission.

(* Item considered as a matter of urgency with the consent of the Chair under the provisions of Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.)