Agenda item

To enable the Cabinet to consider the recommendations made to it by the Planning Policy & Local Plan Committee in relation to the third tranche in a series of ‘Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plans’ that have been prepared for the Council by Essex Place Services.

RESOLVED that –

(a)    the new Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plans for: Great Oakley (Appendix 1) and Kirby-le-Soken (Appendix 2) be approved for consultation with the public and other interested parties; and

(b)    the Assistant Director (Finance & IT), in consultation with the Corporate Finance & Governance Portfolio Holder, the Housing Portfolio Holder, the Planning Portfolio Holder and the Director (Planning), be authorised to include a leaflet to inform residents, in basic terms, of the purpose, implications and controls in relation to conservation area status with the 2023 Council Tax Bill to be sent in due course to the relevant households within those Conservation Areas.

Cabinet was informed that the Planning Policy & Local Plan Committee (“the Committee”), at its meeting held on 10 October 2022 (Minute 23 referred), had considered a comprehensive report (and appendices) of the Acting Director (Planning) which had reported to it the third in a series of ‘Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plans’ that had been prepared for the Council by Essex Place Services. That report had also sought the Committee’s recommendation to Cabinet that they be approved for public consultation purposes.

The Committee’s decision at its meeting held on 10 October 2022 had been as follows:-

“RESOLVED that the Planning Policy and Local Plan Committee:

1.   endorses the new Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plans for Great Oakley (Appendix 1) and Kirby-le-Soken (Appendix 2) Conservation Area;

2.   recommends to Cabinet that the above documents (forming Appendices 1 and 2) be published for consultation with the public and other interested parties;

3.   notes that Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plans for the District’s other un-reviewed Conservation Areas will be brought before the Committee in due course over the next 6 months; and

4.   recommends to Cabinet that a leaflet be produced by Officers for the residents of properties in all of the District’s Conservation Areas and areas proposed, through the Conservation Area reviews, to be included in the Conservation Areas. Such leaflet to inform residents, in basic terms, of the purpose, implications and controls in relation to Conservation area status; and that the leaflets be distributed to the relevant households in those areas with the 2023 Council Tax Bill.”

The Planning Portfolio Holder (Councillor Bray), in response thereto, had submitted the following comments:-

“I thank the Planning Policy and Local Plan Committee for its consideration of this latest tranche of Conservation Area Character Appraisal and Management Plans and I sincerely welcome, once again, their recommendation to Cabinet that these be published for consultation. Reviewing all of the District’s Conservation Areas is one of the key actions in the Council’s Heritage Strategy and the progress so far has been very good. Ensuring we have an up-to-date appraisal for each and every Conservation Area will enable residents, developers, planners and our Planning Committee to understand the key characteristics that make each area special and which need to be preserved and enhanced when making planning applications and determining them. They will also enable us to reconsider the boundaries of each area and determine whether any Article 4 Directions are needed to provide an extra level of protection and control.

I also very much welcome and endorse the proposal that explanatory Conservation Area leaflets be distributed to the relevant households with the 2023 Council Tax Bill if this is viable and practicable.”

Having duly considered the recommendations submitted to it by the Planning Policy & Local Plan Committee, together with the contents of the Great Oakley Conservation Area Appraisal and the Kirby-le-Soken Conservation Area Appraisal:-

It was moved by Councillor Bray, seconded by Councillor P B Honeywood and:-

RESOLVED that –

(a)    the new Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plans for: Great Oakley (Appendix 1) and Kirby-le-Soken (Appendix 2) be approved for consultation with the public and other interested parties; and

(b)    the Assistant Director (Finance & IT), in consultation with the Corporate Finance & Governance Portfolio Holder, the Housing Portfolio Holder, the Planning Portfolio Holder and the Director (Planning), be authorised to include a leaflet to inform residents, in basic terms, of the purpose, implications and controls in relation to conservation area status with the 2023 Council Tax Bill to be sent in due course to the relevant households within those Conservation Areas.