Issue - meetings

To receive a report from the Corporate Director, Place.

The Chairman invited Cllr Nick Botterill, Cabinet Member for Finance, Development Management, and Strategic Planning, to introduce the report and recommendation.

Cllr Botterill stated that it was intended to progress the Draft Gypsy and Traveller DPD alongside the Local Plan review, and if approved after consultation would be considered by inspectors in 2025. The Plan would bring the provision of pitches and other sites into a more controlled state, with professionally assessed demand and consideration of appropriate sites, where possible through expansion of existing sites. He stated the consultation would enable local people to raise material concerns with any proposed or expanded sites, including raising any errors or omissions in the information. All responses would be carefully considered.

Cllr Botterill moved that the Draft Plan be approved for publication and consultation as set out in the report, which was seconded by Cllr Richard Clewer.

A number of public questions have been received relating to the item, with written responses detailed in the agenda supplements.

Geoff Minsell asked a supplementary question to question P24-16, asking if changes could be made to the Plan in response to the consultation comments and findings. Cllr Botterill confirmed changes could be made if the consultation response justified this, though he could not predict in advance where changes might be made.

Geoff Minsell asked a supplementary question to question P24-17 asking how the council would carry out necessary ecological, engineering surveys and impact assessments on the settled community. Cllr Botterill the planning process would assess such details, as it could be possible a site was deemed appropriate in the plan but the practicalities were not then addressed.

Caroline Minsell asked a supplementary question to question P24-18 asking for details of surveys and tools used to determine selection of sites and if this information would be available. Cllr Botterill stated the details would be available as part of the consultation.

Caroline Minsell asked a supplementary question to question P24-19 asking for details of consultation with parish councils on inclusion of sites around Lea and Cleverton and Somerford. Cllr Botterill confirmed parish councils were notified at earlier stages, though not all will have responded, and all would be able to respond further to the consultation and all responses would be available for the public to see.

Haydn Reynolds asked a supplementary question to question P24-20 asking for whether the council intended to buy any sites proposed within the plan, and if there had been discussion with landowners. Cllr Botterill stated all but two of the sites proposed were already owned by Wiltshire Council, with those two identified through standard procedures following the council seeking information about site interest.

Jeanne Reynolds asked a supplementary question to question P24-21 asking about enforcement notices active for a site which is included in the Plan. Cllr Botterill stated that Plan was about site allocation for pitches, whereas enforcement was a separate matter.

Kit Beazely asked a supplementary question to question P24-23 asking whether the council had a separate obligation to provide for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 49

      To receive a report from the Corporate Director - Place

That Cabinet:  

1)    Approves the ‘Gypsies and Travellers Plan - Pre-submission Draft Development Plan Document’at Appendix 1 subject to amendment in 3. 

2)    Recommends to Full Council on 24 July 2024 that the Gypsies and Travellers Plan - Pre-submission Draft Development Plan Document at Appendix 1 (subject to modification in (3)) be approved for publication in line with Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended), for a period of at least six weeks public consultation. 

3)    Authorises the Director for Planning in consultation with the Director for Legal and Governance and Cabinet Member for Finance, Development Management and Strategic Planning: to make any necessary minor changes to the Pre-submission Draft Development Plan Document before it is published; to finalise the associated evidence documents for publication alongside the Plan; and to make arrangement for and undertake statutory consultation.   

Reason for Proposals 

To ensure the council continues to make progress in updating its Local Plan, and alongside the wider Wiltshire Local Plan review in line with the timescale set out in the recently approved Local Development Scheme and statutory requirements.  

Alongside the wider Wiltshire Local Plan review, the Plan will help ensure that the council is planning to meet the accommodation needs of all different sectors of Wiltshire’s community.  

Cllr Nick Botterill, Cabinet Member for Finance, Development Management, and Strategic Planning, introduced the report seeking approval for the pre-submission draft Gypsies and Travellers Development Plan Document to be formally published for a final stage of consultation (Regulation 19), and to set out the arrangements for that consultation. This would be subject to confirmation by Full Council on 24 July 2024.

Cllr Botterill set out the need to develop a plan including the identification of site allocations and development of criteria based policy to assess future sites.  The plan will help remove present uncertainty and achieve greater control in the provision of sites, it is based on professionally assessed evidence of demand, and currently national policy prevails in the absence of an agreed local plan. It was emphasised that a Planning Inspector would examine the plan, and objections to policies or sites would need to be planning based.

Cabinet Members provided comments on the report, including requesting that the public be advised on the types of planning grounds which were relevant when people were to respond to the consultation.

Cllr Jerry Kunkler, Chairman of the Environment Select Committee, stated there had been several informal briefings to the Committee in early 2024. Though at that time this had not included details of specific sites, the process and details had been provided to explain how the sites might be identified.

Cllr Gordon King, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, noted the Member Briefing which had taken place the week prior to Cabinet, and encouraged everyone to participate in the consultation moving forward, as well as supporting further information to be provided on how to comment.

A statement was received from a member of the public, Geoff Minshell. Concerns were raised regarding a particular site in Cleverton, noting concurrent enforcement action at the existing site. It was requested that the site be removed from the draft plan ahead of any consultation.

Cllr Botterill responded by noting that part of the purpose of the consultation was to draw out details of concerns or issues with sites The Leader and officers explained that all comments received through the consultation would be considered, but to remove a site without the evidence from such a consultation would not be appropriate at this stage.

A further statement was received from Haydn Reynolds regarding degradation of existing sites and the impact of that on the plan. It was stated in response that the conditions of a site were a relevant factor.

At the conclusion of discussion, and on the motion of Cllr Nick Botterill, seconded by Cllr Richard Clewer, it was then,

Resolved:

That Cabinet:  

1)    Approves the ‘Gypsies and Travellers Plan - Pre-submission Draft Development Plan Document’at Appendix 1 subject to amendment in 3. 

2)    Recommends to Full Council on 24 July 2024 that the Gypsies and Travellers Plan - Pre-submission Draft Development Plan Document at Appendix 1 (subject to modification in (3)) be approved for publication in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 86