Issue - meetings

(Report of the Portfolio Holder for Regulatory & Community Safety)

Report of the Portfolio Holder for Regulatory & Community Safety to seek Cabinet approval for the publication of the Tamworth Borough Council Local Development Scheme 2021 – 2024.

The report was accepted by the Infrastructure, Safety and Growth Committee and Cabinet thanked Richard Powell for producing the report.  

(Report of the Portfolio Holder for Regulatory and Community Safety)

The Chair introduced the Portfolio Holder, Councillor Doyle, and the Assistant Director, Growth and Regeneration and the Planning Policy and Delivery Team Leader to the meeting to present the report on the Local Development Scheme and Local Plan Timetable which would be considered at Cabinet on 8 July 2021.

The Local Development Scheme (LDS) is required to set out the Council’s programme for the preparation of Local Development Documents over a three-year period to inform the public and other stakeholders about the likely dates for opportunities to get involved with the plan-making process. The current LDS was published in 2018 and set out a work programme up to the end of 2021. Whilst the timeline set out in LDS has not yet reached its conclusion, it does include for an annual review, and it was reported that the timescales for individual projects had changed sufficiently such that it was considered appropriate to publish an updated version.

The Planning Policy and Delivery Team Leader reported that the proposed LDS set out the broad timeline over a period of three years leading to a planned submission for examination in late 2024.

The Committee sought and received clarification on:

·       The role of the Local Plan Working Group in the process, which it was reported would be reconvened as part of this process and before consultation started.  It was reported that the benefits of utilising the Local Plan Working Group as a conduit for comments from councillors was that it was cross party and was more generally involved in planning policy developments.  It was noted that detailed involvement by councillors in the process was required.

·       The coverage within the process and local plans (including neighbouring plans) of HS2, as well as climate change and the role of Electric vehicles, and the requirement to future proof local homes regarding EV charging. It was noted that these detailed comments should be fed into the Local Plan Working group process for consideration.

·       The ambitious timelines set out to develop the new plan and the reasons for this, where it was reported that whilst the geographic area of Tamworth was fairly small this could facilitate shorter timelines and that additionally some evidence based work had already commenced which could be used.

RESOLVED that the Committee recommend the report to Cabinet for approval.

(Moved by Councillor Dr S Peaple and seconded by Councillor S Goodall)

The Committee thanked the Portfolio Holder, Assistant Director and Planning Policy and Delivery Team Leader for their attendance who then left the meeting.