Issue - meetings

Report by the Service Director for Economy and Enterprise.

The Wiltshire Core Strategy is enclosed separately for members of the Council and available on the Council’s website.

Public Participation

The Chairman reported receipt of questions from Mr David Scane, on behalf of Curtin & Co, acting on behalf of Bloor Homes as circulated along with responses from Cllr Fleur de Rhé-Philipe, Cabinet member for Economic Development and Strategic Planning – question and response attached as Appendix A.

Mr Scane asked the following supplementary question:

What evidence exists to show that the strategic sites put forward in the draft Strategy within Chippenham are better equipped than Hunters Moon to deliver ‘other benefits’ to the town, other than meeting the strategic housing requirement, and what further evidence exists to show that these sites can start to be delivered in the short term?”

Cllr de Rhé-Philipe explained that the evidence was in the documentation which would be published alongside the Core Strategy for the forthcoming consultation. The Council’s priority as reflected in the draft Core Strategy, was to promote economic development to secure employment opportunities and this was also confirmed by the Leader of the Council.

The Chairman reported receipt of separate statements from Mr Michael Orr, Director of CSJ Planning Ltd on behalf of Chippenham 2020 and Ms Clare Ward, a Chippenham resident.

Mr Duncan Hames MP for the Chippenham Constituency addressed Council on this item in the main, objecting to the scale of development around Chippenham.

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Councillors’ questions

The Chairman reported receipt of questions from Cllrs Chris Caswill and Judy Rooke which were circulated along with responses from Cllr de Rhé-Philipe – attached as Appendix B.

As a supplementary question, Cllr Caswill sought information on what  measures would mitigate the Rawlings Farm development. Cllr de Rhé-Philipe undertook to provide him with the latest information she had on this particular issue. Cllr Caswill welcomed the changes made at the Cabinet meeting on 17 January 2012 and the commitment reflected in the draft Strategy to ensure it was employment rather than housing led.

Cllr Judy Rooke emphasised the point made in her question over the allocation of green fields and agricultural land around Rowden and Patterdown in Chippenham for housing. She reiterated her point that green field sites should only be used when brown field sites were not available and that this view was supported by the Highways Agency. Cllr Rooke sought further clarification of the response given to her second question and Cllr de Rhé-Philipe agreed to provide this.

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In introducing this item, the Chairman explained that Council was being asked to consider the draft Pre-Submission Draft Wiltshire Core Strategy Development Plan Document (draft Strategy) with a view to approving it for public consultation.

The Chairman explained that following consultation, the draft Strategy along with an analysis of responses to the consultation would come back to Council with a view to its adoption. The Chairman advised that an extraordinary meeting of Council was being arranged for Tuesday 26 June 2012 for this purpose.

The Chairman advised on how he proposed to structure the debate on this item in order to go through the document systematically. This  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9