Issue - meetings

Report by the Service Director for Economy and Regeneration.

The views of the Environment Select Committee which considered the Strategy at its meeting on 11 June 2012 will be circulated to Cabinet members prior to the meeting and included with the agenda papers on the Council’s website. The latest version of the Draft Wiltshire Core Strategy has also been included on the website.

Declaration of interest

Cllr Judy Rooke declared a prejudicial interest in the item on the Submission of the Wiltshire Core Strategy and Review of Local Development Scheme as her property was close to the proposed country park and potential housing development at Rowden Park, Chippenham.

Public Participation

Cabinet received written representations on this item as follows:

Question – from Cllr Judy Rooke

Statement from Osborn Clark on behalf of Chippenham 2020

Letter from Hallam Land Management

Details of the above representations can be found on the Council’s website along with the agenda for this meeting.

Cabinet received verbal representations at the meeting on this item as follows:

Mr Owen Inskip

Mr Gary Mantle – from the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust

Cllr Fleur de Rhé Philipe, Cabinet member for Economic Development and Strategic Planning presented a report on the Wiltshire Core Strategy (Strategy) and Review of the Local Development Scheme. She also presented the Strategy document asking Cabinet to consider the outcome of the recent formal consultation exercise and to recommend the document to an extraordinary meeting of Council on 26 June for the purpose of submitting it to the Secretary of State.

Cllr de Rhé Philipe briefly summarised how the Strategy had evolved and the method of consultation. The consultation had resulted in representations from more than 430 different organisations and individuals. Collectively, more than 1,700 separate comments were made on different parts of the plan. A summary of the main points were documented in Chapter 4 of the consultation output report

In response to the consultation, a number of changes were proposed in the interests of improving clarity and understanding of the document and to update it to improve consistency with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). A small number of changes were proposed by officers for similar reasons. A schedule of proposed changes was presented for Cabinet’s consideration. These changes were considered minor in nature and would not alter the overall substance of the Strategy, the validity of the Sustainability Appraisal or negatively affect the consistency with national policy. Their inclusion would strengthen the document without undermining its overall soundness.

Cllr Jon Hubbard, Chairman of the Environment Select Committee presented the relevant extract of the Committee’s minutes dated 11 June 2012 when it considered the Strategy. The Committee in making a number of comments, offered general endorsement of the Strategy and asked Cabinet to take into account its reservations and suggestions as referred to in the minutes. Cllr Hubbard explained the primary concerns of the Committee.

Cllr de Rhé Philipe thanked the Environment Select Committee for its consideration of the Strategy and presented a schedule of responses to the points raised by the Committee.

Cllr Hubbard also considered that representations made by Councillors given that they represented their respective communities should be made available in full rather than relying on summarised accounts. The Leader agreed that they should be circulated prior to Council.

In the debate which ensued, Councillors made general comments on the Strategy  ...  view the full minutes text for item 70