Agenda item

RESOLVED:1)       That the Statement of Community Involvement be made available for consultation for a period of 6 weeks.

2)       That the final version of the document prepared after the consultation period be reported back through to Council for final approval.

Reason for Decision

To ensure that the Borough Council has an up-to-date Statement of Community Involvement adopted, to inform the next stages of the Local Plan review and planning application process. Changes were agreed to take into account the comments made under Standing Order 34.

The LDF Manager presented a report which explained that the Council adopted a Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) in 2006. This reviewof theCouncil’sSCI had takenaccountof therecentchangesin legislation andpolicy.Planning legislationsetout anumber ofstatutoryrequirementswith respecttoconsultationon planningpolicy documents andplanning applications.The SCIset outhowthe Councilwould meetthese requirementsalong withthe additionalactivitiesthe Councilwould undertaketoinvolvepeople inthe planning system.

The report also explained that theLocalismAct2011alsosetouta ‘duty toco-operate’, which wasa requirementthattheCouncilengagewithneighbouringCouncilsand other statutorybodies toconsiderjointapproachestoplan-making. The Council wascommittedtomeetingthisdutyandintendedtoworkcloselywithneighbouringauthorities,otherpartnerorganisationsand stakeholders.

The revised SCI was required to go out to consultation for 6 weeks, to give stakeholders and the local community the opportunity to comment upon the document.

The report proposed that those comments would then be considered by the Executive Director - Environment and Planning and the Cabinet Member, with the intention that the document was amended if required and then adopted via delegated powers.

Under Standing Order 34, Councillor Moriarty suggested that the final document should go to Council for approval, rather than the delegated authority being granted to finalise the document. 

In response it was agreed that the document would come back through to Council for approval after the consultation process was complete.

In response to a suggestion that Applicants and Agents be required to carry out public consultation it was noted that the Government advice was that they should do it and the wording was contained in the document.  It was also noted that at the Heacham Appeal currently being undertaken comments had been made on the developer’s involvement with the village.

RESOLVED:   1)         That the Statement of Community Involvement be made available for consultation for a period of 6 weeks.

2)         That the final version of the document prepared after the consultation period be reported back through to Council for final approval.