Agenda item

Further to Minute 78/17 of the Cabinet, the City Council considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place), which proposed the adoption of the new Coventry City Council Local Plan and City Centre Area Action Plan.

It was noted that, following a period of public examination, the Inspector had now issued her final reports in so far as they related to the City’s new Local Plan and City Centre Area Action Plan.  The reports concluded that both Plans were sound and legally compliant, subject to the inclusion of identified modifications.  This meant that the Council could move to adopt both the Local Plan and the City Centre Area Action Plan.  The Inspectors report was attached as Appendix 1 to the report submitted, with the schedule of minor and main modifications recommended, set out at Appendix 2.

Once adopted by the Council, the new Plans will become the basis for determining planning applications from the following day (6^th December 2017).  The legal framework that governed development plans meant that they will remain subject to a statutory 6 week legal challenge period.  This period was expected to run between the 6^th December 2017 and 17^th January 2018.  Should any such challenge arise, it would not directly impact on the material weight afforded to the Plans unless the challenge was successful through the high courts. 

The new Local Plan also provided an ongoing blue print for continued joint working with the City’s neighbouring authorities in Warwickshire and the wider West Midlands.  Both Plans would be monitored on at least an annual basis to ensure they were delivering successfully against their aims and objectives and to assess whether or not they required review, either partially or fully.

The City Council considered a petition bearing 42 signatures, submitted by Councillor Sawdon requesting the City Council to build on brownfield sites first and to promise to protect the Green Belt.

In moving the recommendations, Councillor L Bigham, Cabinet Member for Community Development indicated that she had considered the petitioners’ request.

RESOLVED that the City Council:

1.  Adopt the Coventry City Council Local Plan 2011-2031 and the City Centre Area Action Plan in accordance with Section 23 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and that together they supersede the policies set out in the Council’s 2001 Development Plan as set out in Appendix 6 of the Local Plan Appendices.

2.  Note that the adopted Coventry Local Plan and City Centre Area Action Plan 2011-2031 are the Submitted Plans – 1^st April 2016 as amended by:

a.  The Inspector’s final report (as appropriate) (Appendix 1).

b.  The Schedule of Main Modifications recommended by the Inspector (Appendix 2).

c.  The Schedule of minor modifications (Appendix 2)

3.  Request that Adoption Statements and the final Sustainability Appraisal reports are made available on or as soon as possible after 6^th December 2017 in accordance with regulation 35 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) Regulations 2012 (as amended).

4.  Delegate authority to the Head of Planning and Regulatory Services in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Community Development to make further minor modifications to the Plans prior to their final publication, where these modifications are confined to the correction of typographical errors, amendments to policy or paragraph reference numbers and consequential cross referencing.

Note: In accordance with the Constitution, a recorded vote was taken.

The Councillors voting for and against the Recommendations were as follows:

Result: Carried

For: 31

Against: 15

Abstentions: 0