Agenda item

(Planning Policy Portfolio Holder) To consider the attached report (C-007-2014/15).

(1)        That the updated Local Development Scheme for 2015/16, attached at Appendix 1 of the report, be adopted and published on the Council’s website; and

(2)        That expenditure against the Local Plan budget in 2014/15, the projected expenditure for 2015/16, and the estimated expenditure for 2015/16 and future years, including a need to reconsider the project fund as a whole in the next available budget cycle, be noted.

The Portfolio Holder for Planning Policy presented a report regarding the agreement of the Local Development Scheme for 2015/16, and an update on the Local Plan budget.

The Portfolio Holder stated that the Council had a statutory obligation under the Localism Act 2011 to prepare a Local Development Scheme, which was the high level project plan for the preparation of the Epping Forest District Local Plan. The current Scheme had been approved in July 2014, and now required updating. The main factors that had affected the timetable for the production of the Local Plan since last year were:

            (i)         the requirement for a comprehensive review of the Green Belt;

            (ii)        the work required under the duty to co-operate and to update the Strategic             Housing Market Assessment;

            (iii)       the publication of the latest household projections for the period 2012-37 which      had been published in February 2015;

            (iv)       the additional work required to complete the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment;      and

            (v)        the advice and assistance provided for the development of Neighbourhood             Plans.

The Portfolio Holder reported that the revised timetable for the preparation of the Local Plan indicated that the draft Local Plan public consultation would start in July 2016 and run until September 2016 to allow for the summer holiday period, it would then be published for representations in April 2017, submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in October 2017, the Examination in Public occurring in early 2018, and the final Plan adopted in September 2018.

The Portfolio Holder informed the Cabinet that expenditure on the Local Plan had been approximately £1.2million since 2004/05, and that estimated additional funds in the sum of £537,673 would be required up to 2018/19. This additional expenditure would be provided by the District Development Fund. The Council had experienced difficulties in recruiting experienced staff, despite the budgetary resources being made available, due to the limited number of suitably qualified applicants being available and competition from neighbouring authorities for such staff. Thus, it had been agreed to use the budget from the vacant Planning Officer and Technical Support posts to recruit a Senior Planner on a fixed term contract for 18 months.

The Portfolio Holder added that the Council continually needed to take account of more information made available once the Planning Inspector reports of recent Examinations in Public were published. Further items for the Evidence Base would be coming forward for decision later in the year. The Leader of the Council acknowledged that it was frustrating when the timetable was changed and the publication of the Local Plan was further delayed, but this was predominantly as a result of changes to the process by the Government. It was accepted that this was a long process. The legal advice received was that the Council’s approach was right, and the mantra from the Queens Counsel engaged by the Council was “Do it once, do it well, do it right!”.

Decision:

(1)        That the updated Local Development Scheme for 2015/16, attached at Appendix 1 of the report, be adopted and published on the Council’s website; and

(2)        That expenditure against the Local Plan budget in 2014/15, the projected expenditure for 2015/16, and the estimated expenditure for 2015/16 and future years, including a need to reconsider the project fund as a whole in the next available budget cycle, be noted.

Reason for Decision:

The Council was obliged under the Localism Act 2011 to prepare and publish a Local Development Scheme so that the public and stakeholders were aware of the likely timing of key stages of the plan making process. The current Scheme, approved a year ago, was due for renewal.

To keep the Cabinet appraised of the current and likely future expenditure in respect of the Local Plan preparation process.

Other Options Considered and Rejected:

To not agree or vary the Local Development Scheme.