northlincs.gov.uk

PRESENT: – Councillor Wardle in the chair.

Councillors Long (vice-chairman), Barkworth, Bunyan, Carlile, Eckhardt, England, Grant, Phillips, Rowson and Whiteley.

The committee met at Pittwood House, Scunthorpe.

804 DECLARATIONS OF PERSONAL AND PERSONAL AND PREJUDICIAL PERSONAL INTERESTS – There were no declarations of personal interests.

805 (4) NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK – CORE STRATEGY – MEMBERS’ DAY EVENT – The Head of Planning and Regeneration submitted a report informing the committee of the outcomes of a Members’ day event and seeking approval for these to inform the development of the Core Strategy of the Local Development Framework.

It had been considered essential for the councillors’ views to be sought on the spatial vision for the future development of North Lincolnshire. To this end external facilitators had been commissioned to run a seminar, which had been held, at Normanby Park on 7 April., 2006.

The aims for the day had been firstly to discuss the opportunities in the area and to establish an overall vision for the future development of North Lincolnshire, secondly to develop visions for the future settlement pattern and finally to categorise all settlements within the hierarchy.

The day had culminated in broad agreement on the nature and scale and location of development, which the members wished to see, and the establishment of a proposed settlement hierarchy.

The outcomes of this seminar would feed into the emerging Core Strategy, and together with the results of wide ranging public involvement, would help to influence and determine the Preferred Options for the strategy which would be taken forward to the next stage. This document would progress through the planning process in accordance with central government legislation to adoption and would set out the spatial vision, spatial objectives and strategy for the development of North Lincolnshire and the strategic framework for the control of development.

Recommended to Council –(a) That the outcomes of the Members’ Day Event be endorsed and that they be used in developing the Preferred Options for the Core Strategy, and (b) that that the outcomes of the day seminar be circulated to all Members for information.

806 (5) NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK –CORE STRATEGY ISSUES & OPTIONS CONSULTATION – STAKEHOLDER RESPONSES – The Head of Planning and Regeneration submitted a report informing members of the issues raised in the detailed responses to the Core Strategy Issues and Options consultation provided by key stakeholders.

Overall, there had been broad support for the proposals set out in the Core Strategy Issues and Options paper. However, there had been a number of concerns particular in relation to the environmental impact of the proposals contained in the paper. Officers would be meeting the Environment Agency to seek to resolve that organisations’ concerns over future development in Barton and Brigg with regard to flood risk.

Also a number of suggestions had been included regarding appropriate locations for new development as well as some advice in terms of formulating policy.

32 detailed responses had been received from key stakeholders in the Local Development Framework process. Most of these groups had responded only in relation to their own area of interest. A summary of the responses was appended to the report.

Recommended to Council – (a) That the report be noted, and (b) that the responses are considered for the preparation of the Core Strategy: Preferred Options.

807 (6) NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK –CORE STRATEGY RESIDENTS’ SURVEY – The Head of Planning and Regeneration submitted a report and the council’s Strategic Marketing Manager gave a presentation on the results of the householder questionnaire on the Core Strategy.

The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 required effective and continual community engagement and consultation. The council had set out its approach to stakeholder and community engagement within the Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) adopted in April 2006.

To help meet the commitment to early and effective engagement the Planning and Regeneration service had worked closely with the Local Strategic Partnership on joint consultation on the Community Strategy review and the LDF Core Strategy and also with the Strategy and Customer Communications Team. This had resulted in the joint production of an LDF Core Strategy / Community Strategy consultation film and a LDF Core Strategy questionnaire to North Lincolnshire households between March and May 2006 undertaken by QCL Research. A further survey had been jointly commissioned with the Crosby and Neighbourhood Pathfinder and Viking FM to target younger peoples views. A further petition was received from the Epworth Action Group in relation to the Core Strategy and Rural Renaissance project.

The North Lincolnshire LDF Household survey had provided 2,131 responses. The questionnaire and planning film had been made available on the council’s website attracting some 224 responses within this total. Some 57% of all respondents were female and 42% male and 2% from Black and Minority Ethnic groups (this was broadly representative of North Lincolnshire’s BME population of 2.5%). The age profile of respondents showed only 5% of respondents were less than 25, 22% between 25 and 40 year old, 52% between 41 and 64 years old and 21% 65 years and over. This highlighted an under representation of young people completing the questionnaire although this had been compensated for by the ‘Shout’ Young Peoples Engagement Survey undertaken between December 2005 and January 2006. This survey provided 1,101 respondents mainly between the 14 and 19 age groups.

The report and presentation summarised the results of the survey.

Recommended to Council – (a) That the results of the questionnaire be reported as widely as possible through the council’s Direct Magazine and web site and through the media; (b) that the questionnaire results be made available on a Ward basis for Members, Town and Parish councils and the public; (c) that all members of the committee receive a full copy of the survey results, and (d) that the results of the survey be considered in developing the LDF Core Strategy.

808 (7) SPEAKING AT PLANNING COMMITTEE – The Head of Legal and Democratic Services submitted a report proposing changes to the Constitution in relation to the arrangements for speaking at the Planning Committee.

The Local Government Act 2000 required the council to adopt a Constitution. The Constitution was a “living document” which required frequent amendment to keep up with changes made by the council to its management structure and procedures. The arrangements for speaking at the planning committee formed part of the constitution.

The procedure for speaking at the committee had been amended on a number of occasions to address problems as and when they had been identified

Following a review of some of the working practices adopted since the last amendment, it was proposed to make a number of changes to Procedure Rule 35 (f).

The proposed changes related to notification of requests to speak and the procedure to be followed when more than one person had requested to speak and the prospective speakers had not been able to reach agreement.

Resolved – That consideration of the matter be deferred to enable the Head of Legal and Democratic Services to discuss the matter further with the chairman and vice -chairman prior to submitting a further report.