Meeting documents

To approve as correct records the Minutes of the meetings held on 19 December, 2016, and 17 May, 2017, copies attached as appendices.

RESOLVED –

That the Minutes of 19 December, 2016 and 17 May, 2017, be approved as correct records.

Members to declare any interests.

There were none.

To consider the attached report.

Contact Officer:  Andy Kirkham (01296) 585462

All Members of the Council had been notified previously that the timeline for finalising the submission draft of the Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan (VALP) had been extended to ensure that all the evidence required to inform the overall strategy and detailed policies had been included.  This was a necessity to ensure that the Plan was found to be "sound" at Examination.

The Sustainability Appraisal was being carried out by external consultants but unfortunately, this piece of evidence had not progressed to the anticipated timetable.  This had in part been due to the very complex nature and number of variables associated with the emerging VALP, because of the scale of growth to be planned for in the District and the range of options that therefore needed to be considered in the Sustainability Appraisal.

The Sustainability Appraisal was a critical piece of evidence which had to feed into the content of the Plan and it was imperative that there was sufficient time for the Appraisal to be done properly.  This was an incredibly complex Plan which would affect the Vale for generations to come and getting it absolutely right was an absolute priority.

Accordingly, the timescale for consideration of the Submission Draft had been amended as follows:-

·         Report to VALP Scrutiny Committee – 6.30pm 26 September, 2017

·         Cabinet – 6.30pm 10 October, 2017

·         Council – 630pm 18 October, 2017

Work on finalising the Plan would continue during the summer, including continuing discussions with key stakeholders to ensure that any issues they had raised had been addressed.  As previously intended, the Plan would then be published for public comment.  The principal advantage of the change in timetable was the fact that the consultation period would not now have to be run over the summer holidays. It was believed that this should make it easier for residents, Town and Parish Councils and other interested parties to respond to the consultation.

Following the six week consultation, all the consultation responses would be pulled together and sent with the Submission Draft to the Planning Inspectorate in January, 2018 (two months later than the original timetable).  The DCLG had advised that informally that their priority was to ensure that the Council was progressing with a "sound" Plan, and that they were comfortable with the proposed short extension.  The Planning Inspectorate would advise the Council when the Plan would be scheduled for Examination, which it was expected would be mid-2018.

Officers provided the Committee with an update on the position regarding the "duty to co-operate" discussions with adjoining authorities (Central Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes, South Northamptonshire, Cherwell, South Oxfordshire and Dacorum), and concerning those authorities’ timings in relation to their emerging Plans.  Members were reminded that the latest evidence in support of the Plan could be found on the Council’s website at https://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/section/vale-aylesbury-local-plan-valp.

Members sought additional information and were informed:-

(i)             Officers were satisfied that other Buckinghamshire Districts were doing what they reasonably could to accommodate future housing needs in their own areas which would minimise  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

The next meeting of the VALP Scrutiny Committee will be held at 6.30pm on Tuesday 26 September, 2017.

As referred to in the preceding Minute, Members noted that the next meeting of this Committee would be held at 6.30pm on 26 September, 2017 in the Olympic Room at The Gateway, Aylesbury.