Agenda item

Purpose: To present the main changes to the MWLP and supporting evidence, and for approval to undertake public consultation on these documents in accordance with the West Berkshire Statement of Community Involvement and the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.

The Council considered a report (Agenda Item 15) which set out the main changes to the Minerals and Waste Local Plan (MWLP) and supporting evidence. The report sought permission to undertake public consultation on these documents in accordance with the West Berkshire Statement of Community Involvement and the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.

Prior to the discussion on the item starting the Chairman noted that a revised website link relating to the link on page 33 of the agenda was circulated as a separate annex to all Members and had been published on the Council’s website.

MOTION: Proposed by Councillor Hilary Cole and seconded by Councillor Tony Vickers:

That the Council:

“Grant delegated authority to the Head of Development and Planning to:

1.         Agree any minor typographical and presentational changes and factual updates to the Proposed Submission Minerals and Waste Local Plan and supporting information prior to publication for consultation.

2.         Publish the Minerals and Waste Local Plan Proposed Submission consultation document, and supporting evidence base documents for a six week consultation period in accordance with the West Berkshire Statement of Community Involvement and Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.

3.         Following public consultation, consider and summarise the responses received, and submit the Proposed Submission Minerals and Waste Local Plan and supporting evidence base to the Secretary of State for independent examination in line with Regulation 22 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.”

Councillor Hilary Cole in introducing the item noted that the Council was required to produce a Mineral and Waste Local Plan. She noted that this was the first iteration of the plan that was specific to West Berkshire as previous versions were Berkshire wide. The completed document was the culmination  of several years of work and would shape the future of minerals and waste development in West Berkshire up to 2037.

Councillor Cole noted that  originally consultation was due to take place during January and February of 2020. Unfortunately one of the mineral sites that was due to be included as an allocation in the Plan was withdrawn at a late stage and consultation had to be put on hold until the Plan could be updated.

The Plan reflected national policies as well as Council Strategy Priorities. Councillor Cole noted that the MWLP had already been through several stages of public consultation, starting with the Issues and Options consultation in early 2014, a sites consultation on all sites submitted for consideration in the plan in summer 2016, and consultation on the Preferred Options in spring 2017.

It was proposed that the consultation would run for six weeks between Monday 4^th January and Monday 15^th February 2021. Following this, officers would  consider and summarise the responses received and prepare the Proposed Submission MWLP and supporting evidence for submission to the Secretary of State for independent examination in line with legislative requirements by July 2021 with a view to it being adopted in the Summer of 2022.

Councillor Hilary Cole thanked officers both past and present for their tenacity and hard work in producing the document.

Councillor David Marsh noted that there was a number of references to sustainability and biodiversity and he therefore sought assurance that this would happen. He asked if consideration could be given to water and rail as a means of transporting the materials if at all possible.

Councillor Adrian Abbs stated that he would not want to see any of the biodiversity net gains being outsourced outside of the district. Councillor Tony Vickers stated that he would not like to see any conflict between this Plan and the Local Development Plan.

Councillor Hilary Cole commented that restoration was an important part of extraction and sites would be restored to a very high standard. She noted that rail and water could only be used to transport materials if they were close to the sites. Neither could, for example, be used on a site in Chieveley but it was located close to the M4 which would reduce travel. Officers supporting the Mineral and Waste Plan and Planning Policy worked closely together and would ensure that a conflict situation did not arise.

The Motion was put to the meeting and duly RESOLVED.