Agenda item

This report  provides an update on the progress of the joint Area Action Plan (AAP), which will form part of the Local Development Framework, and seeks agreement for a programme for the preparation of the AAP. 

Note:            Annexes 3-5 to this report are available to view on-line along with the agenda for this meeting but have not been included in the printed papers.  Copies may be obtained, if required, from Democratic Services – please see contact details at the foot of this agenda.  The address of the Council’s website is http://www.york.gov.uk/  The agenda and reports for this meeting can be found in the ‘council meetings’ section of the website.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the programme set out in the report for the preparation of the Area Action Plan and for its inclusion in the revised Local Development Scheme, having regard to the recommendations and amendments of the LDF Working Group, be noted.

                        (ii)        That Officers be instructed to revise the programme, with the objective of bringing forward the milestone target for the completion of public consultation on the Aims and Options paper before the end of September 2007.

                        (iii)       That Officers be requested to report back on how other parts of the timetable can be compressed.

                        (iv)       That the Community Consultation Strategy for York Central, which will be taken into account in undertaking the public consultation relating to the York Northwest Area Action Plan, having regard to the recommendations and amendments of the LDF Working Group, be noted.

REASON:      In order to produce a timely plan that is likely to be implemented, and thus ensure that the development of these important sites is not jeopardised by internal milestones.

Members considered a report which provided an update on progress towards production of a joint Area Action Plan (AAP) covering the York Central and British Sugar sites, as agreed by the Executive on 12 September 2006, and proposed a programme for preparation of the AAP.  The draft programme was attached as Annex 1 to the report.

Work already undertaken in preparation for the York Central Area Action Plan would now be transferred to the joint AAP.  This included work on a Consultation Strategy for the Issues and Options stage and a Scoping Report for a Sustainability Appraisal.  Details of the Consultation Strategy and feedback received were contained in Annexes 2-5, which had been made available on the Council’s website.  A report on the joint AAP had been considered by the Local Development Framework Working Group (LDFWG) at their meeting on 1 February 2007.  Minutes of that meeting were attached as Annex 6.

Two options were available, namely:

Option 1 – to proceed with the timetable set out in Annex 1 for preparation of the AAP, resulting in adoption of the AAP by the end of 2010;

Option 2 – to prepare the AAP to an alternative timescale, whilst ensuring all statutory requirements were met.

The recommendation in the report was for Option 1.  However, Members indicated that their preference was for Option 2.  Development of the sites should be progressed as speedily as possible, in view of their importance to York’s economic growth.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the programme set out in the report for the preparation of the Area Action Plan and for its inclusion in the revised Local Development Scheme, having regard to the recommendations and amendments of the LDF Working Group, be noted.

                        (ii)        That Officers be instructed to revise the programme, with the objective of bringing forward the milestone target for the completion of public consultation on the Aims and Options paper before the end of September 2007.

                        (iii)       That Officers be requested to report back on how other parts of the timetable can be compressed.

                        (iv)       That the Community Consultation Strategy for York Central, which will be taken into account in undertaking the public consultation relating to the York Northwest Area Action Plan, having regard to the recommendations and amendments of the LDF Working Group, be noted.

REASON:      In order to produce a timely plan that is likely to be implemented, and thus ensure that the development of these important sites is not jeopardised by internal milestones.