Issue - meetings

In accordance with Notice duly given under Procedure Rule 4, Councillor A S Fluker to move the following Motion, duly seconded by Councillors M W Helm and K M H Lagan.

Preamble

Elected Members who represent the community are, aside from other functions and duties,  responsible for the ‘place shaping’ of the district.

During 2014-2029 Local Development Plan process all members were involved in the progression and subsequent agreement of emerging policies. For example, Members considered whether or not to allocate one large site for growth or opt for several smaller ones, likewise the principals of Garden Suburbs. There were also long and protracted debates concerning ‘pepper potting’ and the sustainability credentials of rural villages.

Members were directly involved in decision making through a series of meetings of Council, and as a result residents and other interested parties could see for themselves the democratic process of ‘place shaping’ taking place.

The review of the Local Development plan has included a ‘call for sites’ of which some have been considered by Officers as being acceptable. This has resulted in residents and others believing that the future development of these sites is a fait accompli which has caused much consternation with residents and more notably with the Crouch Valley Defence Group who object to over one thousand new properties being built in Althorne.

It should be noted that members have not agreed these policies.

It is accepted that the emerging policies of site allocations have been discussed by Working Groups of the Council but previously these hugely important decisions including the associated overarching policies were debated and agreed by Council on an ongoing basis.

For clarity the terms of reference of the Working Group agreed by the Extraordinary Meeting of  Council on 25th August deals only with the assessment of the Five-Year Housing Supply.

In summary it is considered that generally members have had little formal input into the decisions regarding the allocations of sites and that opportunities to consider other options and new policies  have not been the  subject of democratic input or scrutiny by members. 

Motion to Council

That Council calls an extraordinary meeting to take place in not less than 10 working days to consider the emerging policies of the review of the  2014- 2029 Local Development Plan and specifically the allocation of sites including those in Althorne ward.

In accordance with Notice duly given under Procedure Rule 4, Councillor A S Fluker to move the following Motion, duly seconded by Councillors M W Helm and K M H Lagan.

Preamble

Elected Members who represent the community are, aside from other functions and duties, responsible for the ‘place shaping’ of the district.

During 2014-2029 Local Development Plan process all members were involved in the progression and subsequent agreement of emerging policies. For example, Members considered whether or not to allocate one large site for growth or opt for several smaller ones, likewise the principals of Garden Suburbs. There were also long and protracted debates concerning ‘pepper potting’ and the sustainability credentials of rural villages.

Members were directly involved in decision making through a series of meetings of Council, and as a result residents and other interested parties could see for themselves the democratic process of ‘place shaping’ taking place.

The review of the Local Development plan has included a ‘call for sites’ of which some have been considered by Officers as being acceptable. This has resulted in residents and others believing that the future development of these sites is a fait accompli which has caused much consternation with residents and more notably with the Crouch Valley Defence Group who object to over one thousand new properties being built in Althorne.

It should be noted that members have not agreed these policies.  It is accepted that the emerging policies of site allocations have been discussed by Working Groups of the Council but previously these hugely important decisions including the associated overarching policies were debated and agreed by Council on an ongoing basis.

For clarity the terms of reference of the Working Group agreed by the Extraordinary Meeting of Council on 25th August deals only with the assessment of the Five-Year Housing Supply.

In summary it is considered that generally members have had little formal input into the decisions regarding the allocations of sites and that opportunities to consider other options and new policies have not been the subject of democratic input or scrutiny by members.

Motion to Council

That Council calls an extraordinary meeting to take place in not less than 10 working days to consider the emerging policies of the review of the 2014- 2029 Local Development Plan and specifically the allocation of sites including those in Althorne ward.

In presenting his motion, Councillor Fluker referred to the important role Members historically had in place shaping, and therefore an involvement in the development of emerging policies.  He added that the Planning Policy Working Group reporting to the Council was not working well and all Members were not involved in the current process and therefore not being given the opportunity to do their jobs.  The new sites had yet to be agreed, and he questioned the status of suitability in terms of the need to be sustainable given the assessment of sites issued to potential developers by the Policy Team.  He added that the consideration of other options  ...  view the full minutes text for item 243