Agenda item

15/18              

The Council considered a report that requested that delegated authority be granted to the Head of Paid Service, in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Joint Local Plan (JLP) Joint Steering Group (JSG) Members, to authorise the final version of the JLP for consultation.

In discussion, reference was made to:-

(a)   an amendment was PROPOSED and SECONDED to read as follows:

‘That a Special Full Council meeting be convened following receipt of the Inspectors’ Interim Report to consider its content and recommendations and to determine the necessary steps to be taken prior to the final version of the JLP going out for public consultation.  Prior to such a Special Full Council meeting, officers are to meet with Members in order to identify those proposed modifications that are non-contentious and those that require further consideration and debate.”

In introducing his amendment, the proposer made the following points:-

-        It was his view that the overwhelming majority of Members would be bypassed in the event of the agenda report recommendation being approved;

-        The impression had been given at a recent Member Briefing that a Special Council meeting would be convened for this specific purpose.  As a consequence, the proposer had relayed this information to his local town council and could see no explanation in the published report for this recommended change of approach;

-        The proposed amendment would ensure that the process was democratic.  Moreover, whilst a similar way forward was being proposed for West Devon Borough Council, there was no reference to such an agenda report on the published Plymouth City Council Annual Council summons.

During the consequent debate, some Members did not support the amendment and reference was made to:

o    the views of the Member representatives on the Joint Steering Group.  The representatives outlined and clarified the process and stressed that they would not have supported the report recommendation if they did not consider the risk to be minimal;

o    the involvement of local Ward Member(s).  Whilst considered to be unlikely, it was noted that any significant changes deemed necessary to the JLP (that had not already been considered by all Members) would lead to those significantly affected Ward Members being consulted with prior to a revised version being signed-off;

o    an additional Special Council being effectively a non-event that could slow up the process;

o    this meeting in fact presenting an opportunity to discuss the main modifications.

Whilst the points about the risk being minimal and the process being slowed up were disputed, when put to the vote, the amendment was declared LOST;

(b)   the importance of making representations to lead officers and Members of the JSG.  In the event of the recommendation being approved, Members were urged to put any comments and/or concerns that they had in writing to the lead officers and JSG Members.  Nonetheless, Members did also make a number of comments during the debate that included:-

-        the suggested deletion of the point relating to the ‘improved road and junction connections to the south of the A38’.  A Member asked for his concerns over the proposed deletion of this point to be formally recorded.  The local Ward Member emphasised his view that retention of this point was the only practicable way to improve air quality levels in the Western Road, Ivybridge Air Quality Management Area;

-        a wish for Policy TTV (Thriving Towns and Villages) 29.7 to be deleted.  In requesting her wish for this Policy to be deleted, the local Ward Member advised that this would prevent the Neighbourhood Plan for Dartington from progressing any further;

-        with regard to the suggested additions related to the Dartington Hall Estate, the local Ward Member was of the view that the wording contained in the proposed comments needed revisiting; and

-        disappointment was expressed over the suggested revisions to Policy DEV8 (‘Meeting Local Housing Need in the Thriving Towns and Villages Policy Area’) and the request was made for the original wording to be reinstated;  

(c)    settlement boundaries.  In light of the suggested revisions, a Member urged all of his colleagues who represented villages to study their settlement boundaries very closely;

(d)   the policy relating to Rural Exception Sites.  It was confirmed that the policy relating to Rural Exception Sites had already existed prior to any of the JLP project work commencing.

       It was then:

RESOLVED

That delegated authority be granted to the Head of Paid Service, in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Council Members who served on the Joint Local Plan Joint Steering Group, to authorise the final version of the Joint Local Plan for consultation.