Agenda item

This report requests that the Local Plan Working Group recommends to Executive that it agrees the Examiner’s recommendations to enable the Strensall with Towthorpe Neighbourhood Plan to proceed to Referendum.

Members considered the Strensall with Towthorpe Neighbourhood Plan Examiner’s Report, attached at Annex A to the report and the Decision Statement, which included the council’s proposed response to the Examiner’s recommended modifications, attached at Annex B to the report. The report asked the Local Plan Working Group (LPWG) to recommend to Executive that it agreed the Examiner’s recommendations to enable the Neighbourhood Plan to proceed to referendum.

The Corporate Director of Place and the Strategic Planning Policy Officer provided an overview noting that Rosemary Kidd Dip TP had been appointed to undertake the Independent Examination of the Neighbourhood Plan. The Examiner’s Report assessed the polices in the Neighbourhood Plan, and a series of recommended modifications were made. It was noted that the Queen Elizabeth Barracks site was particularly complex in terms of its reference in the Neighbourhood Plan, and the main recommendations of concerns were highlighted.

Members were informed that subject to Executive endorsing the recommendations in the report, the referendum would be held on Thursday 4 May 2023, alongside the local elections.

Members welcomed the Neighbourhood Plan and they noted the importance to include contingency plans and policies for the Queen Elizabeth Barracks site.

All those that had been involved in developing the Neighbourhood Plan were commended, with particular acknowledgments given to the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group, particularly the Chair,  Keith Marquis, Kathryn Jukes and Mike Dando from Directions Planning Consultancy Ltd, and the Forward Planning team at City of York Council. 

Sincere acknowledgements were also made to Mr Philip Thorpe and Parish Councillor John Chapman who had also made valuable contributions to drafting the Neighbourhood Plan but had sadly passed away before it was completed. A request was made to include them in the dedications at the start of the Plan, and officers agreed to investigate this further. It was reported, following the meeting, thatthey had been included in the dedications in the latest referendum draft of the Plan, which had recently been updated and received from the planning agents on behalf of the Parish Council.

Members acknowledged the immense amount of work that’s required to develop a Neighbourhood Plan and they recognised that some smaller communities, particularly those that did not have the infrastructure or resources available, may require additional support to produce a Neighbourhood Plan.

Resolved:

(i)  That the report be recommended to Executive.

Reason: In order that Executive can consider the observations and recommendations of the LPWG in their decision making.

(ii)   That Executive be recommended to:

·        Agree the Examiner’s modifications set out at Annex B (Decision Statement) of the report to the Strensall with TowthorpeNeighbourhood Plan, and that subject to those modifications the Neighbourhood Plan meets the Basic Conditions and other legislative requirements.

Reason: To allow the Neighbourhood Plan to progress in line with neighbourhood planning legislation.

·        Agree that the Strensall with Towthorpe Neighbourhood Plan, as amended, proceeds to a local referendum based on the neighbourhood area outlined in the Examiners Report (Annex A of the report). 

Reason: To allow the Neighbourhood Plan to progress in line with neighbourhood planning legislation.

·        Approve the Decision Statement, attached at Annex B of the report, to be published on the City of York Council’s website.

Reason: To allow the Neighbourhood Plan to progress in line with neighbourhood planning legislation.