Issue - meetings

Report by the Service Director for Economic Regeneration.

Cllr Fleur de Rhé Philipe, Cabinet member for Economic Development and Strategic Planning presented a report on the Aggregate Minerals Site Allocations Development Plan Document (DPD). She also presented the DPD itself for Cabinet’s consideration and approval for onward recommendation to the extraordinary meeting of Council on 26 June 2012. If approved by Council, the DPD would then be submitted to the Secretary of State  for Examination.

Cllr de Rhe Philipe explained how the DPD had evolved, the consultation undertaken and previous Cabinet consideration on it. The consultation had prompted 124 comments from 53 organisations, consultees and members of the public. These comments would be considered by a Government Inspector and form the basis of the forthcoming Examination.

A schedule of proposed modifications which arose from the consultation were presented. The modifications proposed were not considered substantial by officers and could be accommodated within the DPD in order to strengthen sections where necessary without undermining the overall soundness of the document. Cllr de Rhé Philipe advised that the recommendation to Council included specific reference to approving the Equalities Impact Assessment.

For the same reasons as referred to in minute no. 70  above on the Wiltshire Core Strategy, it was agreed to add Cllr Jon Hubbard in his capacity as Chairman of the Environment Select Committee (and leader of the Opposition) as a consultee to agreeing the final document.

Recommended to Council:

That Council:

(i)           approves the Submission draft Aggregate Minerals Site Allocations DPD and proposed modifications set out at Appendix 3 and the Equalities Impact Assessment at Appendix 4, for the purpose of submission to the Secretary of State and

(ii)          delegates to the Director for Economy and Regeneration, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Strategic Planning and the Chairman of the Environment Select Committee, authorisation to propose other minor modifications to the Sites DPD for submission to the Secretary of State in the interests of clarity and accuracy, and to make appropriate arrangements for submission of the documents to the Secretary of State and any consequential actions as directed by the Inspector relating to the Examination.

Reason for Decision

To ensure that progress continues to be made on preparing an up-to-date minerals policy framework for Wiltshire (and Swindon) in line with the timetable set out in the Council’s revised Local Development Scheme and statutory requirements. Once adopted, the Sites DPD would form part of the Council’s policy framework.

Regulatory and constitutional procedures require that the policy framework of the authority be a shared matter for Cabinet and Council[1]. Cabinet’s functions set out in the constitution include proposing to Council new policies which fall within the Policy Framework as defined in paragraph 1 of Part 3 of the Constitution. In order to secure Council approval, therefore, the draft DPD has first been endorsed by Cabinet.