Agenda item

To approve the content of the Tendring District Council Publication Draft Local Plan and its Sustainability Appraisals for consultation and submission to Government.

Councillor I J Henderson had earlier declared a non-pecuniary interest in respect of this item insofar as he was a member of the Development and Regulation Committee at Essex County Council.

Councillor Stock had earlier declared a non-pecuniary interest in respect of this item insofar as he was a Director of the North Essex Garden Communities Ltd.

Councillor G V Guglielmi had earlier declared a non-pecuniary interest in respect of this item insofar as:

(1)        he was a Director of the North Essex Garden Communities Ltd;

(2)        he was Chairman of the Development and Regulation Committee at Essex County Council; and

(3)        he was a Director of Lawford Housing Enterprise Trust though no land had been allocated in the Local Plan that the Trust owned.

Councillors Coley and V E Guglielmi had earlier declared non-pecuniary interests in respect of this item insofar as they were Directors of Lawford Housing Enterprise Trust though no land had been allocated in the Local Plan that the Trust owned.

Councillors Honeywood and Amos had declared non-pecuniary interests in respect of this item insofar as they represented the Council on the John Gilders & Maskell Almshouses Trust.

Council had before it a comprehensive report which sought its approval to endorse the content of the Tendring District Council Publication Draft Local Plan and its Sustainability Appraisals for consultation and submission to Government.  The Publication Draft Local Plan was attached as Appendix A, and the Sustainability Appraisals as Appendix B to the report.

Members were aware that Tendring District Council was preparing a new Local Plan in order to guide future development in the Tendring District up to 2033 and beyond.  Members recognised that having an up-to-date plan was critical for creating job opportunities, attracting investment for improved infrastructure, protecting the environment and ensuring that the new homes required met the needs of a growing population; were built in the right locations and achieved good standards of quality and design.  Without an up-to-date plan it would be more difficult for the Council to secure investment and protect the District from unplanned developments.

Council was reminded that the Local Plan comprised two sections.  Section 1 had been jointly prepared with Braintree District Council and Colchester Borough Council and dealt with strategic issues including the proposals for garden communities.  Section 2 of the Plan related just to the District of Tendring.  Some chapters in Section 2 had been considered by the Local Plan Committee on 20 April 2017.  Section 1 of the Local Plan, and the remaining chapters for Section 2 had been considered by the Local Plan Committee on 12 June 2017.  The Cabinet had also been consulted on the Local Plan at its meeting held on 13 June 2017.

At its meeting held on 12 June 2017 (Minute 7 referred), the Local Plan Committee had -

“RESOLVED that the Committee -

1. (a)        endorses the content of Section 1 of the Council’s Publication Draft Local Plan;

(b)        endorses the remaining chapters of Section 2 of the Council’s Publication Draft Local Plan, as set out in Appendix A and as amended by the Update Sheet which was circulated to Members on Friday 9 June 2017 and tabled at this meeting and including a full set of the Local Maps;

(c)        endorses the amendments to those Chapters of Section 2 of the Council’s Publication Draft Local Plan already endorsed by Members at their meeting held on 20 April 2017 and as set out in the Update Sheet which was circulated to Members on Friday 9 June 2017 and tabled at this meeting;

2. endorses the Sustainability Appraisals prepared by Place Services, as attached (and summarised) in Appendix C;

3. refers Section 1 and the remaining chapters of the Tendring District Council Publication Draft Local Plan, together with its decision on 20 April 2017, as amended by the Update Sheet which was circulated to Members on Friday 9 June 2017 and tabled at this meeting, to Cabinet as a complete document for consultation;

4. delegates authority to the Head of Planning Services, in consultation with the Chairman of the Local Plan Committee, to make  minor administrative corrections and changes to the Publication Draft Local Plan;  and

RECOMMENDS TO COUNCIL that:

5. the content of the Tendring District Council Publication Draft Local Plan and Sustainability Appraisals be approved;

6. a six-week public consultation and engagement process on the Tendring District Council Publication Draft Local Plan and its Sustainability Appraisals be undertaken;

7. following said consultation and engagement, the Publication Draft Local Plan and Sustainability Appraisals, along with the representations received during the public consultation, be submitted to the Government’s Secretary of State to appoint a Planning Inspector to hold an Examination in Public; and

8. Tendring District Council requests the Planning Inspector to recommend any changes to the Publication Draft Local Plan to make it sound.”

At its meeting held on 13 June 2017 (Minute 28 referred), the Cabinet had –

“RESOLVED that Cabinet endorses the content of the Tendring District Council Publication Draft Local Plan (as amended by the content of the Update Sheet provided to Members of the Local Plan Committee and to Cabinet) and its Sustainability Appraisals, as attached at Appendices A and B to the Report of the Leader of the Council.”

Council had before it an update sheet which informed it of alterations and/or additions in respect of the following:

Amendments to Section 1 of the Local Plan

Minor amendments to the text of “Tendring/Colchester Borders Garden Community – SP8” in Section 1 of the Local Plan to reflect the decision of Colchester Borough Council’s Local Plan Committee on 12 June 2017 namely to include appropriate references to safeguarding the green edge to Colchester with a new country park provided along the Salary Brook corridor and incorporating Churn Wood.

Amendments to Section 2 of the Local Plan

(i)            Local Maps;

(ii)           Living Places;

(iii)          Sustainable Places;

(iv)         Protected Places; and

(v)          Healthy Places.

The Leader of the Council & Chairman of the Local Plan Committee (Councillor Stock) paid tribute to the Officers and members of the Local Plan Committee past and present for their sustained hard work on the Local Plan and on the Garden Communities project.

Councillors Everett, G V Guglielmi, Parsons, Bray and I J Henderson  participated in the discussion of this item.

Having considered all of the information provided, it was moved by Councillor Stock and seconded by Councillor I J Henderson and:         

RESOLVED that Council approves:

1. the content of the Tendring District Council Publication Draft Local Plan and Sustainability Appraisals (subject to the content of the Update Note provided to Members and tabled at the meeting);

2. that a six-week public consultation and engagement process on the Tendring District Council Publication Draft Local Plan and its Sustainability Appraisals be undertaken;

3. that following said consultation and engagement, the Publication Draft Local Plan and Sustainability Appraisals, along with the representations received during the public consultation, be submitted to the Government’s Secretary of State to appoint a Planning Inspector to hold an Examination in Public; and

4. that Tendring District Council requests the Planning Inspector to recommend any changes to the Publication Draft Local Plan to make it sound.