Issue - meetings

The Executive Board considered the attached report:-

RECOMMENDED: That

(1)         the Halton Core Strategy Revised Proposed Submission Document (May 2011) be approved for Submission to the Secretary of State under Regulation 30 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Development) (England) Regulations 2008;

(2)         any minor editorial amendments required to improve the legibility of the Halton Core Strategy be agreed with the Inspector by the Operational Director for Policy, Planning and Transportation in consultation with the Executive Board Member for Physical Environment;

(3)         authority be delegated to the Strategic Director, Policy and Resources, to enter into discussions with parties and to suggest wording changes, as are deemed necessary by the Inspector to reach agreement on matters discussed at the examination into the soundness of the Core Strategy; and

(4)    material weight to give to the Halton Core Strategy Revised Proposed Submission Document (May 2011) as a material consideration in Council Development Control policy decisions.

The Executive Board had considered a report of the Strategic Director, Policy and Resources on the Halton Core Strategy – Submission to the Secretary of State.

RESOLVED: That

(1)         the Halton Core Strategy Revised Proposed Submission Document (May 2011) be approved for Submission to the Secretary of State under Regulation 30 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Development) (England) Regulations 2008;

(2)         any minor editorial amendments required to improve the legibility of the Halton Core Strategy be agreed with the Inspector by the Operational Director for Policy, Planning and Transportation in consultation with the Executive Board Member for Physical Environment;

(3)         authority be delegated to the Strategic Director, Policy and Resources, to enter into discussions with parties and to suggest wording changes, as are deemed necessary by the Inspector to reach agreement on matters discussed at the examination into the soundness of the Core Strategy; and

(4)    material weight to give to the Halton Core Strategy Revised Proposed Submission Document (May 2011) as a material consideration in Council Development Control policy decisions.

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Policy and Resources, on the Halton Core Strategy, which sought approval to submit the document to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, to commence its formal examination.

            The Board was reminded that on 31 March 2011, approval was given to make changes to the Proposed Submission Core Strategy (November 2010) for the purpose of a further six week public consultation and representation period.

            A further period of public consultation took place on the Revised Proposed Submission Core Strategy between 13 May 2011 and 24 June 2011. The main matters provoking the need for a further consultation period were detailed in the report. Once the final version of the Strategy had been collated and ratified by Council, it would then be submitted to the Secretary of State for examination, and, following the statutory stages of inspection as outlined in the report, it was expected that the Core Strategy would be adopted by Spring 2012.

Reason(s) For Decision

The next stage in the production of the Halton Core Strategy was for the document to be submitted to the Secretary of State for examination.  Officers were seeking Executive Board endorsement and full Council ratification to proceed to the examination stage for the Core Strategy.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

No alternative options had been considered at this stage. Submitting the Core Strategy for examination was the next step in the process of the Core Strategy’s production and was in accordance with the associated Regulations for the production of Development Plan Documents.

Implementation Date

It was envisaged that the Core Strategy would be submitted to the Secretary of State in late July 2011, with the examination phase commencing in Autumn 2011, to be followed by adoption of the Core Strategy in Spring 2012.  After its adoption, the Core Strategy would then be used for development management purposes in the determination of planning applications and to direct development to the most appropriate locations in accordance with the adopted spatial strategy for the Borough.

            RESOLVED: That Council be recommended to:

1)     approve the Halton Core Strategy Revised Proposed Submission Document (May 2011) for Submission to the Secretary of State under Regulation 30 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Development) (England) Regulations 2008;

2)     agree that any minor editorial amendments required to improve the legibility of the Halton Core Strategy be agreed with the Inspector by the Operational Director for Policy, Planning and Transportation in consultation with the Executive Board Member for Physical Environment;

3)     delegate authority to the Strategic Director, Policy and Resources, to enter into discussions with parties and to suggest wording changes, as are deemed necessary by the Inspector to reach agreement on matters discussed at the examination into the soundness of the Core Strategy; and

4)     material weight to give to the Halton Core Strategy Revised Proposed Submission Document (May 2011) as a material consideration in Council Development Control policy decisions.