Agenda, decisions and minutes

There were no apologies for absence.

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

No declarations of interest were made.

In accordance with Procedure Rules Nos.11 and 35 a period of 10 minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the meeting on any matter relating to the work of the body in question.  Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman or person presiding will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a number of speakers. Members of the public are not required to give notice to use this facility. However, as a matter of courtesy, a period of 24 hours’ notice is encouraged.

Members of the public wishing to ask a question at the meeting should provide at least three clear working days’ notice in writing and should include the question with that notice. This will enable an informed answer to be given.

No members of the public were present.

To consider an application to designate Bollington Parish as Bollington Neighbourhood Area. 

That approval be given to designate Bollington Parish as Bollington Neighbourhood Area, for the purposes of preparing the Bollington Neighbourhood Plan, as outlined on the map attached to the report. 

The Cabinet Member considered a report which detailed an application by Bollington Town Council to designate the full extent of Bollington Parish as the Bollington Neighbourhood Area.

The Localism Act 2011 introduced new legal rights that enabled communities to prepare local development plans (neighbourhood plans) with equal weight to the Local Plan for decision making purposed on development proposals.

The first stage in establishing a neighbourhood plan was the designation of a neighbourhood area – the geographic extent within which future policies and land designation would apply. Bollington Town Council had applied to designate the full extent of Bollington Parish as the Bollington Neighbourhood Area in January 2015.

It was considered that the Bollington neighbourhood area application had been prepared in accordance with existing regulations and was desirable to designate for the following reasons:

·         the application submitted met the requirements as presented at Part 2(5) of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 and in accordance with National Planning Practice Guidance on Neighbourhood Planning

·         Bollington Town Council was the relevant body to undertake Neighbourhood Planning in this location

·         the Neighbourhood Plan Area followed the existing political and administrative boundary for the Parish of Bollington and did not include land in any adjoining Parish

·         no other applications had been made for Neighbourhood Areas covering all or part of the area

·         issues concerning strategic interest in the Parish had been discussed and a position of understanding had been reached between Bollington Town Council and Cheshire East Borough Council

·         a six week consultation had been held on the proposed Bollington Neighbourhood Area and two comments had been received which were comments only

The designation of Bollington Parish as a neighbourhood area would allow Bollington Town Council to prepare a neighbourhood plan with formal statutory powers.  Once completed, the Plan would be adopted by Cheshire East Borough Council and form part of the Development Plan for the Borough.  The policies eventually held in the Bollington Neighbourhood Plan would be used for decision making purposes within the parish of Bollington alongside those other relevant policies from the Cheshire East Development Plan.

RESOLVED:

That approval be given to designate Bollington Parish as Bollington Neighbourhood Area, for the purposes of preparing the Bollington Neighbourhood Plan, as outlined on the map attached to the report. 

To consider an application to designate Holmes Chapel Parish as Holmes Chapel Neighbourhood Area.

That approval be given to designate Holmes Chapel Parish as Holmes Chapel Neighbourhood Area, for the purposes of preparing the Holmes Chapel Neighbourhood Plan, as outlined on the map attached to the report

The Cabinet Member considered a report which detailed an application by Holmes Chapel Parish Council to designate the full extent of Holmes Chapel Parish as the Holmes Chapel Neighbourhood Area.

The Localism Act 2011 introduced new legal rights that enabled communities to prepare local development plans (neighbourhood plans) with equal weight to the Local Plan for decision making purposed on development proposals.

The first stage in establishing a neighbourhood plan was the designation of a neighbourhood area – the geographic extent within which future policies and land designation would apply. Holmes Chapel Parish Council had applied to designate the full extent of Holmes Chapel Parish as the Holmes Chapel Neighbourhood Area in December 2014.

It was considered that the Holmes Chapel neighbourhood area application had been prepared in accordance with existing regulations and was desirable to designate for the following reasons:

·         the application submitted met the requirements as presented at Part 2 (5) of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 and in accordance with National Planning Practice Guidance on Neighbourhood Planning

·         Holmes Chapel Parish Council was the relevant body to undertake Neighbourhood Planning in this location

·         the Neighbourhood Plan Area followed the existing political and administrative boundary for the Parish of Holmes Chapel and did not include land in any adjoining Parish

·         the southern and eastern boundary also reflected the Ward Boundary for Dane Valley Ward 

·         no other applications had been made for Neighbourhood Areas covering all or part of the areas

·         issues concerning strategic interests in the Parish had been discussed and a position of understanding had been reached between Holmes Chapel Parish Council and Cheshire East Borough Council

·         a six week consultation had been held on the proposed Holmes Chapel Neighbourhood Area and 6 comments had been received. Four of which were in support, 1 opposed the neighbourhood area and 1 was a comment only.

·         the objection received was from Turley on behalf of Sainsbury’s PLC and was on the basis that part of a development site under their ownership did not lie within the proposed neighbourhood area – the site fell partly within the Brereton Neighbourhood Area.  However, as the sits was subject to full planning permission, any polices arising from the development of a neighbourhood plan for Holmes Chapel could not impact the existing permission granted.

The designation of Holmes Chapel Parish as a neighbourhood area would allow Holmes Chapel Parish Council to prepare a neighbourhood plan with formal statutory powers. Once completed, the Plan would be adopted by Cheshire East Borough Council and form part of the Development Plan for the Borough.  The policies eventually held in the Holmes Chapel Neighbourhood Plan would be used for decision making purposes within the parish of Holmes Chapel alongside those other relevant policies from the Cheshire East Development Plan.

RESOLVED:

That approval be given to designate Holmes Chapel Parish as Holmes Chapel Neighbourhood Area, for the purposes of preparing the Holmes Chapel Neighbourhood Plan, as outlined on the map attached to the report.