Agenda and minutes

Local Development Framework Working Party - Thursday 19th July 2007 4.00 p.m.

Venue: The Council House, Burcot Lane, Bromsgrove. View directions

Contact: Rosemary Cole Andy C. Stephens

Items
No.	Item
1.	Election of Chairman and Vice-Chairman View the background to item 1. Minutes: RESOLVED that Councillors Mrs. J. Dyer M.B.E. and P. J. Whittaker be appointed Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Working Party respectively for the ensuing Municipal Year.
2.	Apologies for absence Minutes: Apologies for absence were received from Councillors G. N. Denaro, Mrs. J. D. Luck and Mrs. M. A. Sherrey.
3.	Welcome to New Members View the background to item 3. Minutes: The Chairman extended a particular welcome to those Members who were new to the Local Development Framework Working Party.
4.	Minutes PDF 27 KB View the background to item 4. Minutes: The minutes of the Local Development Framework Working Party held on 28th March 2007 were submitted. RESOLVED that the minutes be approved as a correct record.
5.	Local Development Framework Process View the background to item 5. Minutes: Members received a presentation which provided an overview of the Local Development Framework (LDF) process, together with a ‘Jargon Guide’. It was noted that there was much greater emphasis on effective community engagement in the LDF process than under the old Local Plan process. Particular attention was drawn to the LDF documents already produced by the Council, including the Local Development Scheme which set out the project plan for the LDF and the Statement of Community Involvement. Members were informed of the process that needed to be followed in the preparation and adoption of such documents. A key part of the LDF process was the requirement for the Council to produce a Core Strategy. Other significant Development Plan Documents included the Longbridge Area Action Plan and Town Centre Area Action Plan. Attention was also drawn to the need for an Annual Monitoring Report, the requirements for Sustainability Appraisal and to the Planning Inspectorate’s examination and ‘tests of soundness’ of LDF documents. Members were given the opportunity to ask questions to which officers and the Chairman responded.
6.	Core Strategy Issues and Options PDF 26 KB View the background to item 6. Additional documents: Core Strategy low res , item 6. PDF 2 MB Minutes: Members received a report on the progress of the Issues and Options stage of the Core Strategy preparation process. The Issues and Options Report had been published in June 2005, however, this was prior to more recent Government Guidance on key areas such as Planning and Climate Change, Biodiversity and Geological Conservation and revisions to the Regional Spatial Strategy. It was therefore proposed to carry out an additional stage of consultation and to put forward new issues for consideration in order to relaunch the Issues and Option Report. The consultation newsletter was submitted. RESOLVED that the contents of the report be noted and that the newsletter form the basis for consultation on new issues/options shaping the Bromsgrove Core Strategy.
7.	Redditch Regional Spatial Strategy Implications Study View the background to item 7. Minutes: Members’ attention was drawn to the size of the provisional housing allocation figures for Redditch under the Regional Spatial Strategy options. Due to concerns about the lack of a sound rationale and robust evidence for the figures, Bromsgrove, Redditch and Worcestershire County Councils had jointly commissioned a study to carry out an independent assessment of the figures, to consider and evaluate the implications of the options for the areas surrounding Redditch and to identify broad directions for residential growth. It had been hoped that a draft report would have been available for consideration at the meeting but it had been delayed. It would therefore be brought forward to the Working Party in due course.