Agenda and minutes

At this point, members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they may have in the business on this agenda.

Members were invited to declare at this point in the meeting any personal or prejudicial interests they might have in the business on the agenda. No interests were declared.

At this point in the meeting, members of the public who have registered their wish to speak, regarding an item on the agenda or an issue within the remit of the Working Group, may do so.  The deadline for registering is 5.00 pm on Monday 3^rd November 2008.

It was reported that there had been no registrations to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting of the Local Development Framework Working Group held on 4 August 2008.

RESOLVED:             That the minutes of the meeting of the Local   Development Framework Working Group held on 4 August 2008 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

This report advises Members on the production of a revised Local Development Scheme (LDS) for the City as required under the Planning & Compulsory Purchase Act (2004). The LDS is effectively the project plan for the delivery of the Local Development Framework. The report outlines the implications arising from the changes to Government Guidance (PPS12),  the formal requirements relating to the production of an LDS, and financial implications.

Members considered a report which advised them of the production of a revised Local Development Scheme (LDS) for the City as required under the Planning & Compulsory Purchase Act (2004).  The LDS was effectively the project plan for the delivery of the Local Development Framework. The report outlined the implications arising from the changes to the Government Guidance (PPS12), the formal requirements related to the production of the LDS, and financial implications. A draft of the LDS was attached as Annex A to the report and, for the purposes of comparison, the last timetable provided for members was attached as Annex B.  Members were invited to comment on the draft LDS and recommend it for formal submission to the Government Office of Yorkshire and the Humber.

Officers stressed that the key change in the Government guidance, as re-published in June 2008, was a reduction in statutory consultation stages in favour of a process of continuous consultation. This now meant that before submission, consultation had taken place, and comments were fed to the Planning Inspectorate. Other key changes include an emphasis on the Core Strategy, including the highlighting of key strategic sites, and also changes to the test of soundness to ensure that plans are justified, effective and consistent. At the submission stage, the authority should be satisfied that the document was sound and ready for submission. It was added that, overall, the timetable was not substantially different, but that there were milestone changes as outlined in Table 1 on Page 9 of the LDS.

Members asked what would now be done differently, considering that the process was now well under way. Officers advised that the content of the  Core Strategy would not change; the key change would be the approach to consultation although the Council would still need to demonstrate that at the key submission stage all alternatives had been considered.

Members requested clarification on the status of the Open Space Study (PPG17). Officers advised that the PPG17 Study was virtually complete and would be complete when the LDS was formally submitted.

Members expressed a view that multiple consultations at the early stages could be unnecessary, lengthy and bureaucratic.  In addition questions were asked about the nature of the infrastructure provision work referred to in paragraph 20 on page 12.  Officers responded that it must be shown that the plan and the sites within it were deliverable at the submission stage and that the emerging good practice would be monitored and used.

Members expressed concern that the Green Infrastructure Supplementary Planning Document referred to on page 27 of the Draft LDS would not be adopted until 2011 when it should be central to the Core Strategy. Officers confirmed that work on this, whilst it would run alongside and influence the Core Strategy, would need to be formally adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document following adoption of the Core Strategy itself.

Members also asked whether the evidence base of the 2001 Census was sound and whether, with the recent economic changes, the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.