Issue - meetings

To consider the comments of Strategic Planning Board on the Draft National Planning Policy Framework and to recommend that Council approves the consultation response, as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report.

Consideration was given to a report on the draft National Planning Policy Framework which would replace all current Planning Policy Statements; the report outlined some of the issues it raised for planning in Cheshire East and suggested a response to be made by the Council to the current consultation. 

The proposed response, detailed in Appendix 1 of the report, had been considered by the Strategic Planning Board at its meeting on 28 September 2011; it was reported that Board had supported the draft response but made the following additional comments:

• That the response should say more about the importance of agriculture – as a producer of food and as an important business – and that the role of agricultural land should be given greater prominence in the debate over the development of land.

• That wherever possible officers will suggest new wording to accompany our comments of concern. It is considered that comments will carry more weight if positive wording is put forward in some cases.

Cabinet agreed that these comments should be incorporated into the response and, in addition, that the section in the covering response entitled ‘The Favourable Presumption and Plans under preparation’ should be expanded to include:

• That local plans remain protected until such time as the new National Planning Policy Framwork is in place, and

• That information be included on the number of plans currently approved and in the pipeline awaiting implemention.

RESOLVED

That Council be recommended to approve the consultation response detailed in Appendix 1 of the report, subject to the inclusion of the following comments made by the Strategic Planning Board at its meeting on 28 September, and by the Cabinet. 

• That the response should say more about the importance of agriculture – as a producer of food and as an important business – and that the role of agricultural land should be given greater prominence in the debate over the development of land.

• That wherever possible officers will suggest new wording to accompany our comments of concern. It is considered that comments will carry more weight if positive wording is put forward in some cases.

• That local plans remain protected until such time as the new National Planning Policy Framwork is in place.

• That information be included on the number of plans currently approved and in the pipeline awaiting implemention.