Agenda item

To inform Members of the Neighbourhood Planning process and to set out the proposed approval process for the adoption of a Neighbourhood Plan.

The Council considered a report (Agenda Item 16) which informed Members of the Neighbourhood Planning Process and set out the proposed approval process for the adoption of a Neighbourhood Plan.

MOTION: Proposed by Councillor Hilary Cole and seconded by Councillor Graham Bridgman:

That the Council:

1.            “delegates the designation of Neighbourhood areas to the Head of Planning and that the Scheme of Delegation be updated to allow the designation of a Neighbourhood Area to be approved by the Head of Planning.

2.            Following the examination, but prior to the referendum taking place. Council are asked to approve the Neighbourhood Plan progresses to referendum and agreed to adopt the Neighbourhood Plan into the development plan if there is a successful ‘yes’ vote at the referendum.”

Councillor Hilary Cole in introducing the report requested that three corrections be made to the recommendations. Two of these corrections pertained to the correction of the job title of the relevant Head of Service (Head of Planning and Countryside) and the other was to clarify the recommendation. They should therefore read:

That the Council:

“approves the process for approving Neighbourhood Plans as set out in the report. 

(1)  The designation of Neighbourhood areas is delegated to the Head of Planning and Countryside.

a)    The Scheme of Delegation is updated to allow the designation of a Neighbourhood Area to be approved by the Head of Planning and Countryside.

(2)   Following the examination, but prior to the referendum taking place, Council are asked to approve the Neighbourhood Plan progresses to referendum and agreed to adopt the Neighbourhood Plan into the development plan if there is a successful ‘yes’ vote at the referendum. “

AMENDMENT: Proposed by Councillor Hilary Cole and seconded by Councillor Graham Bridgman:

That a third recommendation be inserted which stated that the Council:

“(3)      Delegates authority to the Head of Planning and Countryside to make minor amendments in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for the     purpose of clarity.”

Councillor Hilary Cole noted that West Berkshire Council was committed to working with Parish and Town Councils and Neighbourhood Groups to develop Neighbourhood Plans. Central Government required the Council to respond to requests in a prompt manner and this document sought to formalise those arrangements. The report proposed a constitutional change to delegate authority to the Head of Planning and Countryside to allow them to designate Neighbourhood Areas thereby negating the need to hold a Special Council meeting to do so. The amendment sought authority to make any minor amendments to the process to aid clarity and this would be undertaken in consultation with the Portfolio Holder responsible for planning.

Councillor Lee Dillon commented that his Group supported the amendment. He stated that it would be beneficial if Members were able to call in decisions made by the Head of Planning and Countryside. He suggested that decisions that were called-in be discussed by the District Planning Committee. This change would align this process with that followed for planning applications.

The amendment was put to the vote and declared CARRIED.

Councillor Dillon stated that he was supportive of the proposals as they set out clear timelines. He stated that the sample Service Level Agreement was a simple and effective document which he thought communities would find useful. He hoped that communities would be able to use the document to lobby their town or parish council to get a Neighbourhood Plan adopted.

Councillor Bridgman commented that the adoption of Neighbourhood Development Plans would ensure that the Council moved from a planning led authority to a community planning led authority and he welcomed any proposals to smooth the process for communities.

Councillor Hilary Cole thanked Members for their support of this proposal.

The Substantive Motion, as amended, was put to the meeting and duly RESOLVED.