Battle Parish Council had prepared a Battle Civil Parish Neighbourhood Plan (BCPNP) following designation of the parish as a Neighbourhood Area in 2015.  The BCPNP was currently subject to a formal public consultation until 29 January 2021 and representations received would be considered by an independent Examiner to determine whether the BCPNP met the ‘basic conditions’ required.  The Council was a statutory consultee and therefore was able to make representations as part of the process; the Council’s proposed response to the consultation was attached as Appendix 1 to the report.

The BCPNP consisted of 23 policies and additional community aspirations relating to the period 2019-2028 in line with the end date of the Council’s Core Strategy (CS).  It was considered that overall the BCPNP was in ‘general conformity’ with the policies of the adopted Local Plan Core Strategy. The BCPNP had been submitted to RDC for a pre-submission review and many of the comments made had been taken on board, resulting in a much-reduced number of comments made at this stage; an approach welcomed by the planning officers.

There were a number of issues identified in the consultation response in relation to the retail and employment policies, housing mix and other matters that were outside the remit of planning policy. None were unsurmountable and recommended rewording to improve and ensure conformity had been suggested by the planning officers and included within the response.  It would be for the examiner to determine whether these would be taken on board.     

The local ward Members and Councillor Vine-Hall, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Strategic Planning acknowledged the vast amount of work and effort that had gone into the production of the BCPNP by the Steering Group, Battle Town Council, residents of Battle and Council planning officers.  It was agreed that the Council’s representation be forwarded to the Independent Examiner for consideration by 29 January 2021, as submitted.

RESOLVED: That:

1)    the main body of the report and the representations set out at Appendix 1 to the report be submitted, together with supporting material, for consideration by the Examiner in relation to the submitted Battle Civil Parish Neighbourhood Plan; and

2)    the Chief Executive be authorised to consider any potential modifications to the Neighbourhood Plan that may be raised through the examination process in order to secure a Neighbourhood Plan in general conformity with the adopted Core Strategy and Development and Site Allocations Local Plan.