To hear questions (if any) from councillors of which due notice has been given in relation only to the business for which this extraordinary meeting has been called.
Minutes:
(1) Councillor Bob McShee asked the Leader of the Council, Councillor Paul Spooner, the following question:
"In view of the short amount of time to read the 606 pages of the Council report and appendices relating to the Local Plan before the date of this meeting, and with the Easter Bank Holiday covering four days, as well as Councillors being busy electioneering they will not have had sufficient time to fully absorb the contents, does the Leader of the Council agree that the question as to whether the Council should adopt the Local Plan should be deferred until after 2 May 2019?"
The Leader of the Council’s response was as follows:
“I am very happy to confirm to Councillor McShee that I emphatically do not agree that the Council should defer consideration of the adoption of the Local Plan until after 2 May 2019. I would remind him that, at the last Council meeting on 9 April, he had originally proposed a motion asking the Council to agree to defer consideration of this matter until after the Borough Council Elections. By 25 votes to 14, the Council decided that it did not wish to defer. Nothing has changed materially since then.”
Councillor Paul Spooner
Leader of the Council
(2) Councillor Tony Rooth asked the Leader of the Council, Councillor Paul Spooner, the following question:
“In relation to the officer’s report on the Council agenda, could the Leader of the Council please explain:
(a) what does “quickly” in paragraph 5.5 mean for the required timescale for the Council to adopt a local plan?;
(b) what period of time does the draft local plan carry material weight (paragraphs 5.15 and 5.23 refer)?;
(c) whether any and/or all of the officer’s report, the Inspector’s Report dated 27 March 2019 (Appendix 1) and the AECOM Sustainability Appraisal Statement (Appendix 6) complies with the LGA guidance on publicity during the pre-election period which states that councils should “not publish report findings from consultation exercises, which could be politically sensitive”?; and
(d) what are the circumstances and timescales in which the three councils named in paragraph 5.21 have not made progress in plan making as to warrant government intervention, and the current position with regard to each of the three councils?”
The Leader of the Council’s response was as follows:
“In response to part (a) of Councillor Rooth’s question, “quickly” is not defined in this context, and does not indicate a specific timeframe so it must be taken to have its accepted meaning, that is “with little or no delay; promptly”.
In response to part (b), if a decision was taken not to adopt the Local Plan then the document can carry very little, if any, weight. The document will never progress to adoption so its content is not progressing towards adoption. NPPF para 48 states ‘A Local Authority may give weight to relevant policies in emerging plans according to ….’. This plan could no longer be described as emerging. If however the Local Plan were adopted then from day one it would carry full weight.
In response to part (c), the Council is aware of the LGA guidance, and has had regard to the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity in its observation and compliance with the legal duty, which is contained within the Local Government Act 1986, and legal advice has been sought and taken appropriately.
In response to part (d), I can confirm the following:
Wirral – The current Local Plan was adopted in 2000. They have recently published an action plan in response to the direction of the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government dated 28 January 2019. Their current Local Development Scheme states that Submission is expected in January 2020 and adoption in January 2021.
Thanet – The current Local Plan was adopted in 2006. They submitted their plan in October 2018 and are currently undergoing examination.
Castle Point – The current Local Plan was adopted in 1998. In November 2018 the Council resolved to not submit their plan for examination. The Council is now in discussions with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in relation to next steps”.
Councillor Paul Spooner
Leader of the Council