Agenda item

Report of the Director of City Services and Commercial

Cabinet considered a report of the Director of City Services and Commercial, that would also be considered at the meeting of Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee on 18^th December 2024 and the meeting of Council on 14^th January 2025, which sought approval to undertake Regulation 19 stage of the Local Plan Review. Appendices to the report provided: Regulation 19 Proposed Submission Version CCC Local Plan; Regulation 19 Proposed Submission Appendices; Sustainability Appraisal; Sustainability Appraisal Appendices; Equalities and Health Impact Assessment; Consultation Statement; Policy matrix – 2017 Local Plan Policy Proposed Policy updates and changes guidance note; and Policy guidance – 2017 City Centre Area Action Plan Proposed Policy updates and changes guidance note.

On 6th December 2022 Council resolved to adopt a new Local Development Scheme (LDS) and to undertake a review of the Local Plan (their minute 84/22 referred). In July 2023 Cabinet approved the Regulation 18 ‘Issues and Options’ consultation (minute 12/23 referred) which ran until September 2023. Approval was now sought to undertake Regulation 19 stage for a 6-week publication period.

The Local Plan review was presented to the Community and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Board (4) on 21st September 2023 (their minute 9/23 referred) during the Regulation 18 stage to inform the ongoing development of the plan. Ongoing member engagement had also been undertaken through meetings of the Local Plan Advisory Group in the formulation of the draft plan for regulation 19 publication.

Approval to publish for Regulation 19 was in line with the Council’s adopted timetables and was the most effective route to adopting an up-to-date Local Plan for the city and for meeting the development needs of communities in a balanced and sustainable way.

The Council received 930 separate responses from the Regulation 18 consultation which had been used to inform the development of the Regulation 19 plan, alongside a range of engagements and a specialist evidence base. The report sought authority to undertake this next required phase of plan preparation, prior to returning to Cabinet and Council for authority to submit to the Secretary of State for examination, this later request would be accompanied with a summary of responses from the Regulation 19 stage.

RESOLVED that Cabinet recommends that Council:

1)  Approves the Proposed Submission version of the Local Plan (Regulation 19) document and associated Strategic Environmental Assessment / Sustainability Appraisal and Equalities / Health Impact Assessment for a 6-week consultation period to begin at the earliest opportunity.

2)  Delegates authority to the Director of City Services and Commercial, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, to authorise any non-substantive changes to the documents prior to consultation.