Meeting documents

The report before Cabinet outlined in detail the new Local Plan and included the 500+ page pre-submission version of the Plan for proposal to the Planning Inspectorate. The Plan set out a vision for the future of the District including objectives and strategic policies necessary to achieve that vision. Inclusive of allocations of sites to meet the housing and economic needs for the District up to 2033, along with a number of development management policies, these were to be used as the basis for determining planning applications alongside the Delivery and Site Allocations Plan previously adopted in 2013.

Alongside the proposed recommendation to Full Council of the Local Plan and accompanying delegated authorities, officers had included a provision for the delivery of the Little Marlow Lakes Country Park.

Additionally a modification of the previous resolution of Cabinet of September 2015 in respect of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) receipts regards Princes Risborough Town Council and Longwick-cum-Ilmer Parish Council was also included.

Councillor D Johncock (Cabinet Member for Planning) presented the Report along with a supplement issued prior to the Meeting. This supplement included a number of late changes to the Local Plan as published in the appendix, it was proposed that these amendments be included in the Plan for recommendation to Council.

Councillor Johncock outlined that of these amendments the major two were:

·                A strengthening of the specifications re the spine road in the Gomm Valley to further prevent ultimate use as a ‘cut through’; and

·                Detailed definition of both the ‘Princes Risborough Expansion Area’ and the ‘Main Princes Risborough Expansion Area’ for clarification.

Councillor Johncock also referred Members to the circulated report to the Improvement & Review Commission meeting of 13 September 2017 of the Local Plan Task and Finish Group (and attached appendix), acknowledging the considerable scrutiny of both the final plan and its development over the preceding years. He asked that an additional resolution be considered noting the input of the Task and Finish Group.

Members discussed the Plan comprehensively and received clarification on a considerable number of issues and queries.

The following decisions were made to ensure that the Council had an up to date Local Plan to guide development over the next 15 years, including setting out new housing and employment targets and the strategy and locations for new development in the period up to 2033, and satisfied Government requirements to produce a Local Plan.

These decisions formally recognised the role that the Little Marlow Lakes area played in providing a range of recreational uses, and its future potential and ensured that the Princes Risborough Town and Longwick-cum-Ilmer Parish, which were taking considerable development, were not disadvantaged in their CIL receipts by the lack of neighbourhood plans, for reasons outside of their control and to provide appropriate local discretion in the spending of the Community Infrastructure Levy.

Recommended: That (i) the pre-submission version of the new Wycombe District Local Plan as set out at Appendix 2 subject to the amendments outlined in the Supplement submitted to the Meeting, be approved (subject to proof reading and factual corrections) for statutory consultation and then be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate/Government for Examination;

(ii) delegated authority be granted to the Head of Planning and Sustainability in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Sustainability to:

a.   Prepare a schedule of proposed modifications to the Plan prior to final submission of the plan to the Planning Inspectorate.

b.   Agree modifications to the plan arising during the Examination including those identified by the Inspector as being required to make the plan sound; and

(iii) the Council provides a Country Park to be known as ‘Little Marlow Lakes Country Park’ under s.7(1) of the Countryside Act 1968, and delegates to the Head of Community Services in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Community Services, the facilitation of delivery of the Park.

RESOLVED: That (i) the Cabinet resolution made in September 2015 be modified as follows: "That of Community Infrastructure Levy receipts received relating to all development in the parish of Princes Risborough, 25% of those receipts should be transferred to Princes Risborough Town Council for the duration of the Local Plan period (up to the year 2033)";

(ii) of Community Infrastructure Levy receipts received relating to all developments in Longwick-cum-Ilmer, 25% of those receipts should be transferred to Longwick-cum-Ilmer Parish Council until such time as a Neighbourhood Plan for the Parish is made; and

(iii) the report of the Local Plan Task and Finish Group to the Improvement & Review Commission of 13 September 2017 in respect of its scrutiny of this Local Plan be noted and a record of thanks for the invaluable input of this Group be made.

Note: Both Councillors Mrs J Adey & D Watson wished it to be recorded that in voting in support of the above Local Plan recommendation, they did so with reservations in respect of the release of Green Belt sites within their Wards featured in the Local Plan document.