Agenda item

To consider the reports of the Cabinet dated:-

·        6 May 2020

·        3 June 2020

·        1 July 2020 (to follow)

The Leader of the Council presented the reports of the Cabinet meetings held on 6 May, 3 June and 1 July 2020 and moved the adoption of the recommendations.  Cllr E Heron seconded the motion.

Item 4 (6 May 2020) – Adoption of the Local Plan 2016-2036 Part One: Planning Strategy

Cllr E Heron, as the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Infrastructure introduced the recommendations and highlighted the sensitivity of a local plan for such a protected area.  The plan had been the outcome of a significant amount of work over the last five years.  In addressing local concerns, it was noted that the plan had undergone two major rounds of consultation in 2016 and 2018 respectively.  Furthermore, failing to adopt the plan could put the Council at significant risk by having to plan for an additional 10,000-20,000 dwellings.

Cllr England moved the following amendment on this item:-

“To ask the Secretary of State to direct that the Local Plan is modified to remove Strategic Site Six (SS6), and to defer the question of the adoption of the plan in the meantime.”

Cllr J Davies seconded the amendment and spoke briefly on both the local concerns in relation to SS6 and the need to secure more genuinely affordable housing both in Pennington and across the District.

A number of other local councillors spoke to the local concerns raised in connection with SS6 in Pennington.  Their concerns related to the rural sensitivities, safety of cyclists and walkers and wildlife.  Whilst local councillors expressed their regret for the inclusion of SS6, some had also concluded that to address the overall District housing need and the risks of returning a local plan to its infancy, the case for adopting the plan outweighed that of deferring the issue.

Strategic Site Four (SS4) was raised by a number of local councillors, some who also concluded that whilst the necessary infrastructure was absolutely critical to this and other developments along the waterside, particularly relating to transport, the adoption of the overall plan was necessary to retain control over its future direction.  Members continued to try and press for more improvements to the A326, which already faced significant congestion.

In responding to the amendment, the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Infrastructure reiterated that it was a highly significant risk that failing to adopt the plan would return it to a place outside of the Council’s own methodology, requiring much greater numbers of planned development.

In responding to the debate on the amendment, Cllr England highlighted that SS6 had not always been included in earlier versions of the local plan, and the volume of opposition locally was such that she could not support the local plan with its inclusion.

The amendment was put to a recorded vote, the outcome of which was as follows:-

Voting for:- Cllrs Brunsdon, M Clark, R Clark, J Davies, Delemare, Dowd, England, Harrison, Kangarani, Osborne, Rackham, A Wade, M Wade.

Voting against:- Cllrs Alvey, Andrews, Bellows, Bennison, Blunden, Brand, Carpenter, Clarke, Cleary, Corbridge, Craze, Crisell, S Davies, Davis, Duke, Dunning, Glass, Gossage, Harris, Hawkins, E Heron, J Heron, Hoare, Holding, Hopkins, Kidd, Levitt, McEvoy, O’Sullivan, Penman, Reid, Reilly, Rickman, Ring, Rippon-Swaine, Russell, Sevier, Steele, Thierry, Thorne, Tipp, C Ward.

The amendment was lost – 13 in favour, 42 against.

Item 4 (1 July 2020) – COVID-19 Recovery – Heath and Leisure

Cllrs Rackham and J Davies highlighted the financial impact of COVID-19 on the Council’s leisure centres, particularly with regard to lost income, and questioned the continuation of the ongoing Health and Leisure Review in its current form.

The substantive motion of the reports of Cabinet meetings held on 6 May, 3 June and 1 July 2020 was put to the vote.

RESOLVED:

That the report be received and the recommendations be adopted.

Note – Cllrs Lane and Tungate were unable to vote on this item due to technical issues.