Agenda item

This report updates Members on the progress of the joint Area Action Plan (AAP) for the York Central and British Sugar sites, to be known as the York Northwest Area Action Plan, and seeks agreement to a programme for the preparation of the AAP.

Members received a report which updated them on the progress of the joint Area Action Plan (AAP) for the York Central and British Sugar sites, to be known as the York Northwest Area Action Plan, and sought agreement to a programme for the preparation of the AAP.

The AAP would form part of the Local Development Framework (LDF) and the programme for its preparation, attached as Appendix 1 of the report, would be included in the revised Local Development Scheme (LDS) to be submitted to the Government Officer for Yorkshire and the Humber in March 2007.

The report presented two options for consideration:

·  Option 1 - To proceed with the timetable for the preparation of the AAP, as outlined in Appendix 1 of the report;

·  Option 2 - To prepare the AAP with an alternative timescale, whilst ensuring all statutory requirements are met.

The report explained that the work in preparing for the Issues and Options stage of the York Central AAP  would be transferred into the preparation of the York Northwest AAP.  This included work on the document preparation, the Consultation Strategy developed and the Scoping Report for the Sustainability Appraisal.  A summary of the consultation responses on the Consultation Strategy was attached as Appendix 2 of the report.  A copy of the consultation report and the amended Community Consultation Strategy were attached as Appendices 3 and 4.

Officers proposed that the programme, attached at Appendix 1, be amended to extend the public participation on the Issues and Options document, so that it took place from November 2007 to January 2008, to allow additional time as it fell over the Christmas holiday period.

Members expressed concern regarding the length of time needed to prepare and adopt the AAP and the risk that proposals may be put forward by developers in advance of the adoption of the AAP.

Members proposed some minor amendments to the Community Consultation Strategy, as set out below.

With regards to the Community Audit attached as Appendix 5, Councillor Merrett advised that he had a number of detailed comments as Micklegate Ward Councillor, which he would submit to officers outside of the meeting.

RECOMMENDED:                        That it be recommended to the Executive:

(i)                 That the programme for the preparation of the Area Action Plan, attached as Appendix 1 of the report and with the amendment that the public participation on Issues and Options take place from November 2007 to January 2008, and its inclusion in the revised Local Development Scheme be agreed;

(ii)               That the Community Consultation Strategy prepared for York Central, which will be taken into account in undertaking the public consultation relating to the York Northwest Area Action Plan, be noted, with the following amendments:

a)     To paragraph 4.3 to the part of the definition of community relating to those who live adjacent to the area, to make specific reference to those who live on significantly affected traffic routes;

                        b) To the first bullet point of paragraph 8.3 to state that the public buildings where documents would be made available should include buildings local to the area.

REASON:(i) To ensure the planning context for the area is considered comprehensively and the linkages/implications of both sites are jointly planned for;

                        (ii) To ensure the public consultation is as inclusive and comprehensive as possible.