A verbal update will be given by officers.
Minutes:
J Doe gave a brief update to the committee about the plans for the Local Plan consultation. It will be going to Council next week for approval to go out to consultation and officers are currently preparing the arrangements. Since the Cabinet meeting, a further national lockdown has been implemented so had to look again at arrangements. One area concerned was the availabilities of libraries and some have remained open with a click and collect service and so the team will be making a number of copies of the local plan that will be available for loan for anyone who is interested. In addition, members of the public will be able to inspect the plan at The Forum on an appointment only basis due to covid restrictions. There will be full online coverage of the plan including a virtual exhibition which has been developed with an IT agency.
Councillor Birnie said he had received objections to holding the consultation under lockdown restrictions.
J Doe said they have taken advice from the Monitoring Officer on compliance with the council’s published policy on consultations.
Councillor Timmis asked if maps would be provided to members of the public in the consultation.
J Doe said maps of the main settlements will be provided showing general indications of proposed developments. There will also be an easy to read version that this committee requested.
Councillor Birnie asked for the timetable of the consultation.
J Doe said the consultation will begin on 27 November subject to Council approval and will run for eight weeks.
Councillor Birnie asked if public face to face exhibitions could be held after the end of lockdown on 2December.
J Doe said other arrangements have been put in place and there will be no public face to face exhibitions.
Councillor McDowell sought clarification around the council’s own consultation guidelines.
J Doe said every council was required to publish their policy on consultations and this is called the Statement of Community Involvement. When the plan goes to public examination, the key test that the inspector looks at is to see if the council have complied with this.
Councillor McDowell asked why Cabinet have changed the policy to make the consultation fit.
J Doe said the policy was amended to reflect the current covid restrictions. There is no change to the policy, just the implementation of it.
Councillor McDowell said just being compliant with the policy is not enough and it needs to reach everyone it should. He said he would like to see a provision of funds given to ward, town and parish councillors to help publicise.
Councillor Birnie suggested that any members who had
concerns with the planned consultation measures raise it at the
council meeting. He asked J Doe to send an email round to the
committee detailing all consultation measures.
Action: J Doe
Councillor Ransley asked if any amendments had been made to the maps seen by members as she noted that Bulbourne was missing.
J Doe said they hadn’t been changed but Bulbourne wouldn’t be there as the maps will display where the major allocations will be and nothing major has been planned at Bulbourne but he would take away the point and check.
Councillor Stevens asked if there was a decision on whether hard copies of the plan will be available to purchase and what the cost of this would be.
J Doe said this would be available. The cost is unknown at the moment as waiting for costs from printers.
Councillor Timmis asked if they could see the maps before they are sent out in the consultation as previous versions have been poor quality.
J Doe confirmed he would send them out.