Agenda item

To consider the contents of the proposed main modifications and seek approval for them for the purpose of public consultation (report of the Joint Policy Unit Manager enclosed).

The South East Lincolnshire Joint Policy Unit Manager introduced the report, outlined the Examination process and explained that the primary purpose of the hearing sessions was to enable the inspectors to identify any potential changes to the Local Plan.

PMMs:

Thirty-eight Proposed Main Modifications had arisen from the Examination process, and these were of four broad types:

·         The deletion of policy for reason of duplication of national policy.

·         Amendments to policy and/or policy justification to improve the effectiveness and/or clarity of its content.

·         Amendments to policy and/or policy justification to achieve compliance with national policy or statute; and

·         The formulation of additional policies to address gaps in guidance.

The Planning Inspectorate’s (PIN’s) procedural practice required PMMs to be the subject of public consultation and sustainability appraisal (SA)

·         The SA was completed

·         Updates of the Habitats Regulations Assessment and the Equalities Impact Assessment to take account of the PMMs were also completed.

·         There was a minimum six-week period of public consultation on PMMs proposed for Monday, 16 July to Tuesday, 28 August, 2018 inclusive.

Additional modifications:

The Examination process allowed for the Joint Committee to put forward ‘additional modifications’ of its own to deal with more minor matters, such as the rectification of typographical errors. These would not form part of the public consultation exercise.

NEXT STEPS:

·         The Joint Policy Unit (JPU) had agreed with the Lead Inspector that any comments it wished to make on the responses to the consultation would be delivered to the Programme Officer by Monday, 10 September 2018.

·         The findings from the consultation would be used to inform the completion of the Inspectors’ report.

·         The draft Inspectors’ report would be subject to the PINS internal quality assurance process (3 weeks).

·         The JPU would have two weeks to consider the ‘fact check report’ and respond with its findings.

·         On receipt of the final report, the Joint Committee could proceed to adopt the Local Plan, as amended in accordance with the Inspectors’ report.

·         Formal adoption was hoped to occur before Christmas 2018.

Officers recommended some amendments  to the PMMs as identified in the report. These were:

• PMM008 -  Amend inset map no. 13 (Cowbit) to remove site Co002.
• PMM012 and PMM034 – amend inset map no. 2 (Spalding & Pinchbeck) to remove sites Pin052, Pin055 and Pin059 from the Vernatts SUE and to extend the SWRR Safeguarding Corridor to cover sites Pin052 and Pin055.
• PMM018 - Reference to National Space Standards should be  reinstatedinto paragraph 5.9.3 of the  Local Plan
• PMM019 – amend the list of affordable housing products set out in the sixth sentence of paragraph 5.10.5 of the Local Plan to read “(social-rented, affordable rented, intermediate rented, shared ownership, shared equity products or Starter Homes)”

Officers asked for feedback on either amendments or general matters. The following points were raised by members;

It was asked, if during the consultation, the public would be provided with a version of the Local Plan incorporating the Modifications rather than the Schedule of proposed Main Modifications . Officers stated that the public would be presented with the Schedule of proposed Main Modifications. The Chairman stated that the inspectorate would also need to consider the feedback of the public.

Members asked if the floor spaces given on page 62 of the report were correct. Officers responded that the figures were indeed correct.

Members asked for clarification of whether the infrastructure investment identified in ‘Appendix 5: Allocations - Infrastructure requirements, constraints and mitigation’ was expected to come from developers or another source. Officers responded that  these costs would be shared by developers and infrastructure providers, and clarified  it was not the  role of the planning authority to make this investment.

Members asked why, although the Local Plan makes provisions to ensure the delivery of various phases of the Boston Distributor Road, it does not ensure that the links between these phases will be delivered. Officers stated that, although the Safeguarding Corridor protected the land that would be needed for the provision of the links, the mechanisms for their delivery were not yet fully established.

DECISION:

a.    That the contents of the report and the attached Schedule of Proposed Main Modifications to the Publication version of the South East Lincolnshire Local Plan and its supporting Sustainability Appraisal, Habitats Regulations Assessment and Equality and Diversity Impact Assessment be considered and;

2. That the Schedule of Proposed Main Modifications to the Publication Version of the South East Lincolnshire Local Plan (incorporating the amendments to PMM008, PMM012, PMM034, PMM018 and PMM019 recommended by officers) and its supporting Sustainability Appraisal, Habitats Regulations Assessment and Equality and Diversity Impact Assessment be approved for the purpose of public consultation.