Agenda item

Please note that, for the paper copies of the agenda, due to their size the appendices have been printed separately.

The Cabinet considered a report in relation to the Bromsgrove District Plan 2011-2030. It was noted that the report outlined the work undertaken on the Plan to date, provided a summary of the Plan policies and was seeking approval for the further stages of the Plan production culminating in an Examination in Public during the middle of 2014.

In addition it was noted that the report also included officer responses, which Members were requested to endorse, on the recently completed Housing Growth Consultation. The results of the consultation had been incorporated wherever possible into policy RCBD1 Redditch Cross Boundary Development.

It was reported that an updated Appendix A relating to the Redditch housing growth consultation had been produced and circulated which included further comments provided by Worcestershire County Council Highways. The Strategic Planning Officer outlined the processes which had been followed by officers in both Redditch and Bromsgrove in the evaluation and assessment of sites to accommodate the required levels of cross boundary growth.  

The Portfolio Holder for Planning and the Strategic Planning Manager reminded the Cabinet of the various stages through which the Plan had progressed over a number of years. These were detailed in sections 3.10 to 3.21 of the report. The changes required by central government through the introduction and then the abolition of the Regional Spatial Strategy and also the publication of the National Planning Policy Framework  had obviously had an impact upon the production of the Plan and associated documents. 

Representations would be invited by this Council on the soundness of the Plan and it was important that respondents were aware of how to make any representations and to provide some detail as to why they felt the Plan may be sound or unsound. Guidance notes would be produced and a number of “drop in” sessions would be undertaken in order to make available to respondents information and assistance on the submission of effective representations during the six week representation period.

The Strategic Planning Manager reminded Members that following the representation period the Inspector appointed would be considering whether the plan published at this stage had been produced in accordance with the tests of soundness as set out in section 3.5 of the report.

Attention was also drawn to an amendment required to the plan in relation to policy BDP5B table 3 where the number of houses already with permission should read 283. In addition it was reported there was an outstanding objection to the deletion of policy RUB5 in the current local plan from a Member. It was intended this would be clarified prior to the Council meeting on 25^th September 2013.  

RECOMMENDED:

(a)       that the officer responses to consultation held on Redditch Housing Growth set out in updated Appendix A be endorsed;

(b)       that the Proposed Submission Bromsgrove District Plan 2011-2030 (Appendix B), Policies Map (Appendix C) and Sustainability Appraisal (Appendix D) be approved for representations to be made by all interested parties during the representation period commencing 30^th September 2013 until 11^th November 2013, in accordance with regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012;

(c)        that the Head of Service /Director and the Strategic Planning Manager, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning, be authorised to review the representations made at the close of the representation period and that subject to no significant matters or weaknesses being raised to bring into doubt the soundness of the proposed submission plan, the Bromsgrove District Plan be submitted to the Secretary of State for examination in December 2013 in accordance with regulation 22 of the Town and Country Planning(Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012;

(d)       that the  Head of Service/Director and the Strategic Planning Manager , in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning, be authorised to prepare and submit the necessary documents to support the submission of the Local Plan; and

(e)       that the Head of Service/ Director and the Strategic Planning Manager, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning, be authorised to undertake such further revisions, technical corrections and editorial changes deemed necessary in preparing the Local Plan for publication and subsequent submission to the Secretary of State and to agree any further changes where appropriate during the examination.