Issue - meetings

To consider the attached report (C-019-2019-20).

The Cabinet agreed that the Statement of Community Involvement be adopted.

The Planning Services Portfolio Holder introduced the report on the Statement of Community Involvement (SCI).

The meeting noted that the preparation of an SCI was a legal requirement of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 as amended by the Planning Act 2008, the Localism Act 2011 and the Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017. The legislation required the Council to prepare a statement setting out how it would notify and consult the community and other stakeholders in the preparation and review of planning policy which included: the Local Plan; supplementary planning documents; neighbourhood plans; policy such as that contained in master plans; and in the consideration of planning applications. A draft Statement of Community Involvement was considered by Cabinet on 13 June 2019 and it was agreed to publish for a six-week period of public consultation.  This took place between Monday 1 July 2019 and 13 August 2019.  This report set out the responses to the consultation and proposed final Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) for adoption.

Councillor J H Whitehouse remarked that the SCI had a description of notifications and site notices for proposed applications. She noted that she had complaints that not all neighbours received letters and wondered if we could make more use of ‘yellow notices’ out on the streets. The Portfolio Holder said that he would not want to do that. The Council only used ‘yellow notices’ when they were really needed. However, applications are advertised in the weekly list of applications which is sent to local newspapers and notified to all Parish and Town councils. There has to be a cut-off point in notifying neighbours and there is now a good balance.

Decision:

The Cabinet agreed that the Statement of Community Involvement be adopted.

Reasons for Proposed Decision:

To comply with the statutory requirement to review the SCI every five years and to update the SCI to include recent changes in legislation and practice.

Other Options for Action:

Not to adopt a new SCI. This would mean that the Council was not meeting the legislative requirements and was not seeking an up to date, fit for purpose, statement regarding the engagement of stakeholders and the public in the planning service and system.