Issue - items at meetings - Huntington Neighbourhood Plan - Examiner’s Report and proposed modifications

The Corporate Director of Economy & Place to present a report which sets out the Examiner’s recommended modifications to the Huntington Neighbourhood Plan and seeks approval for additional consultation, so that interested parties can comment on proposed modifications to the approach to Green Belt policies in the Plan before a decision is made to progress the Plan to referendum.

Resolved: (i) That the proposed additional modifications set out in Annex C to the report be approved for consultation purposes.

Reason: To allow public consultation on the proposed additional modifications.

(ii) That approval be given for a Neighbourhood Plan (Regulation 17A(2) consultation on the proposed additional modifications to the Huntington Neighbourhood Plan set out in Annex C.

Reason: So that interested parties can comment on the proposed modifications to the approach to the Green Belt policies.

(iii) That responsibility for the proposed additional modifications and consultation strategy be delegated to the Assistant Director for Planning & Public Protection, in consultation with the Executive Member for Economy & Strategic Planning.

Reason: To allow public consultation on the proposed additional modifications.

(iv) That consideration of the Examiner’s report at Annex A and the proposed modifications strategy at Annex B be deferred until the consultation on the proposed additional modifications in Annex C has taken place.

Reason: To enable Members to make a decision on how to proceed with the Neighbourhood Plan in relation to all proposed modifications with consideration for the responses received to the Neighbourhood Plan (Regulation 17A(2) consultation on Annex C.

The Assistant Director of Planning & Public Protection presented a report which informed Members of the Examiner’s recommended modifications to the Huntington Neighbourhood Plan and proposed additional modifications in relation to the Green Belt policies, after a challenge through the examination process.

The recommendations of the Local Plan Working Group, following consideration of the report at their meeting on 20 October, had been circulated to Members.

The Examiner’s report was attached at Annex A, with details of the recommended modifications, and the council’s response to these, at Annex B. Annex C set out officers’ proposed additional recommended modifications to the Plan in relation to Green Belt policies. These clarified that, in advance of the adoption of the Local Plan, decisions on whether to treat land as falling within the Green Belt for development management purposes would be taken in accordance with the approach supported in the Wedgewood case referred to above. Judgement in the case had been received after the Examiner’s report was issued in February 2020.