Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from:

Councillor Cottle-Hunkin – who appointed Councillor Smith as a substitute

Councillor Lock – who appointed Councillor Leather as a substitute

Councillor Walker - who appointed Councillor Coombs as a substitute

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Bell and Crabb although were received too late to be announced at the meeting.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 21at January 2025

(circulated previously) be approved as a correct record and signed by the

Chair.

There were no items brought forward by the Chair for discussion.

Please telephone the Corporate and Community Services team to prepare a form for your signature before the meeting). Interests must be re-declared when the item is called. A declaration of interest under the Code of Conduct will be a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest, an Other Registrable Interest or a Non-Registrable Interest. If the item directly relates to your interest you must declare the interest and leave the room for the item, save in the case of Other Registrable Interests or Non-Registrable Interests where you may first speak on the item as a member of the public if provision has been made for the public to speak. If the matter does not directly relate to your interest but still affects it then you must consider whether you are affected to a greater extent than most people and whether a reasonable person would consider your judgement to be clouded, if you are then you must leave the room for the item (although you may speak as a member of the public if provision has been made for the public to speak) or, if you are not, then you can declare the interest but still take part).

There were no declarations of interest announced.

The Planning Policy Team Leader (TDC) addressed the committee in relation to the Local Development Scheme (LDS).

The Planning Policy Team Leader advised that:

·         The LDS published in March 2022 was now out of date and no longer

provided a realistic and achievable programme for the preparation of a new local plan.

·         The Government had now instructed local planning authorities to provide a realistic programme for plan-making.

·         A draft LDS had been provided for consideration (provided as an appendix) which required approval for submission to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) by 6th March 2025.

·         Local planning authorities were required by legislation to prepare and

maintain a timetable and programmes for the preparation of their development plan documents (their Local Plan) through the development of a Local Development Scheme (LDS).

·         It had been challenging to prepare a timetable without certainty about the timings and final shape of the new plan-making system from the Government.

·         The proposed timetable (provided within the report) set out the formal notice of start of plan-making to be October 2025, which would lead to the start the formal 30-month programme in February 2026. The finalisation and adoption of the Plan was expected in July 2028 with any resulting monitoring to proceed from August 2028 onwards.

In response to questions from the Committee, the Planning Policy Team Leader advised that:

·         The preparation of the plan would allow for opportunity to consider the

biodiversity net gain and effects on the rural economy during the process.

·         Concerns and priorities would be addressed together holistically during the preparation of the plan.

·         Despite Government discussion in relation to devolution, the two Councils were both keen to continue with the works with the aim to achieve as much as possible prior to any future reorganisation by the Government.

(10:18) Councillor Hicks arrived).

·         Priority was being given to work on the re-stablishing of the five-year housing land supply (5YHLS). This would give a stronger foundation in the short term.

·         The possibility of elections, change in pollical balance, and/or changes to organisational structure would be noted within risk registers although not specifically added to this work plan.

RESOLVED that;

(a) The draft Local Development Scheme (as per the appendix)

be endorsed for publication, and

(b) That the programme for the preparation of a new joint local

plan, as contained within the draft Local Development Scheme, be authorised for submission to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government by 6th March 2025.

To agree the following dates for the meetings of the Committee for 2025 – 2026:

·         10am, Friday 23^rd May 2025

·         10am, Friday 18^th July 2025

·         10am, Friday 10^th October 2025

·         10am, Friday 23^rd January 2026

RESOLVED that the dates of the meetings for 2025 to 2026 be approved.

Chairman

The meeting ended at 10.29 am