Consideration was given to the report of the Executive Director that sought authority from Cabinet to authorise the ‘Main Modifications’ and ‘Additional Modifications’ to the Development and Site Allocations (DaSA) Local Plan for a six week public consultation.  It was noted that to allow the Council to publish the DaSA for consultation purposes on 30 July 2019, the Chairman of the Council had already agreed that this matter could be taken as an urgent decision and therefore outside the call-in arrangements.

The Council had submitted the Proposed Submission Version of the DaSA Local Plan for independent examination in January 2019.  The DaSA implemented the development strategy and core policies set out in the adopted Core Strategy and sought to allocate sites for particular uses as well as setting out more detailed policies for the effective management of development in relation to key issues.

In January 2019, the Secretary of State appointed an Inspector to conduct the independent examination into the Plan's soundness and legal compliance and subsequently issue a report with conclusions.  The examination hearings were held between the 8 – 16 May 2019 and officers and expert witnesses gave evidence on a number of matters, issues and questions set by the Inspector.

As a result of the examination process a number of modifications had been put forward to the Inspector.  The Council was now required to conduct a further six week consultation on these modifications, once confirmed by the Inspector.   Alongside the ‘Main Modifications and Changes to the Policies Map’ there would be further ‘Additional Modifications’ which were of a more minor nature and did not materially affect the policies set out in the DaSA Local Plan.

The report identified the proposed changes to the ‘Main Modifications’, ‘Changes to the Policies Map’ and ‘Additional Modifications’ as detailed at Appendices 1 to 3 respectively to the report.  Copies of the Sustainability Appraisal and Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA) had been prepared and placed in the Members’ Room for perusal.

The six week public consultation would be open for anyone to make representations, would relate to the modifications only and not any other aspects of the plan; it would commence on 30 July 2019.  All representations received on the ‘Main Modifications’ and ‘Changes to the Policies Map’ would be submitted to the Inspector for consideration.  Representations received on ‘Additional Modifications’ would be considered by the Council.

It was essential that the consultation commenced as soon as possible to enable officers to undertake the consultation and compile and submit consultation responses to the Planning Inspector as promptly as possible after the period for representations had closed.  This would provide the best possible chance for the Council to receive the Inspector’s Report and adopt the DaSA at the September full Council meeting prior to the Core Strategy becoming more than five years old.

Officers were congratulated and thanked for all their hard work progressing the DaSA to date.

RESOLVED: That:

1)    the proposed modifications to the Development and Site Allocations Local Plan to be considered alongside the respective Sustainability Appraisal and Habitats Regulation Assessment to enable representations to be made, be approved for public consultation purposes; and

2)    the representations received to the ‘Main Modifications’ and ‘Changes to the Policies Map’ be subsequently sent to the Inspector following the close of the consultation.

The Chairman of Council had agreed that this decision could be taken as a matter of urgency to enable the Council to publish the Main Modifications, Changes to the Policies Map and Additional Modifications to the Development and Site Allocations Local Plan for consultation purposes on 30 July 2019.