Agenda and minutes

The Mayor’s Chaplain said prayers, at the request of the Mayor.

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests in any item on the agenda.

Prior to Members declaring their interests, the Head of Legal Services and Monitoring Officer advised regarding the declaration of financial interests and pre-determination as follows:-

Interests

Any Member who owns land within the administrative area of the Council has a disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI) in that land. The question is to what extent, if at all, that affects the ability of a Member to participate in the decision-making on the Local Plan Strategy.

In general terms, it is unlikely for any member to have a DPI in the Local Plan Strategy simply as a consequence of their owning land within the borough. However, there are some exceptions.

If a Member owns land which forms part of the Local Plan Strategy Sites or Strategic Locations, then there would be a DPI in respect of the Local Plan Strategy and that Member should declare the interest and not participate in the decision making.

If a Member owns land which, whilst not forming part of the Local Plan Strategy Sites or Strategic Locations, is land which is “in the wings” and might come forward as part of any future Local Plan documents, then again this is considered to be a DPI in respect of the Local Plan Strategy and that Member should declare the interest and not participate in the decision making.

Save for any specific declarations that may be made, it will be noted for the record that Members have interests in property in the administrative area of the Council as recorded on the register of interest.

Predetermination

Members should give consideration as to whether any action taken by them during the preparation of this Local Plan Strategy could amount to predetermination.

The question to be considered is whether there is a real risk, given the evidence, that any particular decision-maker had a closed mind to the decision to be taken, although a decision-maker is not to be taken to have had, or to appear to have had, a closed mind “just because” they have previously done anything that directly or indirectly indicated what view the decision-maker took or what view he would or might take.

If an individual Councillor considers that their actions would give rise to a real risk that it would be considered that they had approached matters with a closed mind then they should declare that predetermination and leave the room and not participate in the decision-making.

In respect of minute 79, “Cheshire East Local Plan Strategy-Submission Version :-

Cllr M Jones stated that, as Leader of the Council he had pre-determined some of the proposals in the Local Plan Strategy and would not take part in the meeting. He left the meeting immediately and did not return.

Cllr Thwaite declared that he was Chairman of East Cheshire Engine of the North.

Cllr Smetham stated that she had met with developers Parish Councils and officers in respect of the Local Plan.

Cllr L Brown declared that she was a Governor of the Kings School, Macclesfield and left the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 78.

A period of time will be allocated for members of the public to speak at the meeting.

The amount of time allocated for each individual member of the public to speak will depend on the number of members of the public wishing to speak and the Mayor will decide how the period of time will be apportioned.

Members of the public wishing to speak at the meeting should register their intention with the officer below by midnight on Monday 24 February.

The following people used public speaking time to speak in respect of the Cheshire East Local Plan Strategy:-

Cllr MP Benson – Sandbach Town Council

John Parkinson

Debbie Jamieson

Robin McCluney – Knutsford Aligned Community Groups

Paul Webster - Knutsford Aligned Community Groups

David Lewis – Alderley Edge/Wilmslow

Stuart Kinsey – Wychwood, Wilmslow

Keith Williams – Resident of Wilmslow

Roger Bagguley 

Manuel Golding - The Northern Group

Philip Enstone – Resident of Wilmslow

Lillian Burns – Prestbury Parish Council

Neville Saunders – Nether Alderley Rural Protection Association

Annie Coombes – Resident of the Parish of Acton

Clare Bingham

Kate Dodd

Nichol Roberts Morris – Chairman of Save Old hall Fields, Bollington

David Dunn – Resident of Crewe

Peter Jones - Resident of Crewe

The Strategic Communities Portfolio Holder, Cllr David Brown responded to those who had spoken.

(Throughout the course of the meeting Cllrs JP Findlow, L Brown and L Roberts left the meeting whenever issues relating to the Kings School and Macclesfield were discussed. Throughout the course of the meeting Cllr Rachel Bailey left the meeting whenever issues relating to Reaseheath College, Nantwich and policy CS21, relating to Kingsley Field, Nantwich were discussed).

Consideration was given to the recommendation from the Strategic Planning Board, which had met on 26 February 2014 and had considered the Cheshire East Local Plan Strategy. Although it was not common practice for officers to speak at full Council meetings, in this instance and in view of the importance of the Local Plan to the Council, a presentation was given by Adrian Fisher, the Council’s Head of Strategy and Economic Planning.

Following the presentation, the recommendations of the Strategic Planning Board were proposed by Cllr David Brown, the Strategic Communities Portfolio Holderand seconded by Cllr Groves, as follows:-

1.         That Council endorse the evidence base, including the Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) and Sustainability Appraisal (SA), which has informed the Cheshire East Local Plan Strategy - Submission Version

2.         That Council endorse the Officer responses to the consultations on the Cheshire East Local Plan Pre-Submission Core Strategy documents published in November, 2013;

3.         (i) That Council approve the attached Cheshire East Local Plan Strategy - Submission Version (Appendix A) for publication and submission to the Secretary of State;

(ii) That Council agree the amendments as outlined in the written update and circulated at the meeting subject to the inclusion of the following further amendments:-

Your Views and How to Comment Section, document page iii -Add 5.00pm to the end of the period for representations.

(a)       Paragraph 16.10, document page 345-Insert the words “Cheshire Brine Compensation Board” to the list.

(b)       Policy EG4, document page 104, Point 1 (ii) – Delete the words “unless it can be proven that the use is no longer economically viable”.

(c)       Policy EG4, document page 104- Add additional bullet point to the list “improving access to our natural and historic landscapes through enhancing our vital public rights of way network”. 

(d)       In relation to site CS30, document page 395-Point e within the Site Specific Principles of Development should be amended to state that “Public Rights of Way footpaths should be retained and/or diverted”.

(e)       In relation to site CS30, document page 395-Point i within the Site Specific Principles of Development should be amended to state that “Development should aim to deliver the preservation and refurbishment of the Grade II listed Dairy House Farm.

(f)        Paragraph 16.2, document page 344 – Insert the word “annually” after “a monitoring report which will be published”

4.         That Council delegate authority to the Head of Strategic and Economic Planning, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Strategic Communities, to agree any minor modifications to the Cheshire East Local Plan Strategy - Submission Version  during the publication phase and during its subsequent Examination; and

5.         That Council resolve  ...  view the full minutes text for item 80.