Agenda item

Note – the status of Neighbourhood Plans in the District may be found via this link

https://www.west-lindsey.gov.uk/my-services/planning-and-building/neighbourhood-planning/

The Committee heard from the Development Management Team Manager with the following updates regarding changes to national planning legislation proposed in the recently published Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill and some changes to the Neighbourhood Plans.

Regarding National Policy, the Officer stated the key changes in the Levelling Up Bill. These included multiple points.

The scope of local plans would now be limited to "locally specific" matters, with "issues that apply in most areas" to be covered by a new suite of national policies. These national policies will carry the same weight as the local plan.

"A new duty on decision makers to make planning decisions in accordance with the development plan and national development management policies unless material considerations strongly indicate otherwise". The document said that this was to "increase certainty in planning decisions".

Local Planning Authorities would be required to have a design code in place covering their entire area;

A new Infrastructure Levy would replace section 106 planning obligations and the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)

Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) was to be replaced by a new system of Environmental Outcomes Reports

Local planning authorities would "have a new power to prepare 'supplementary plans'. These were policies for specific sites or groups of sites that needed to be prepared quickly (e.g. in response to a new regeneration opportunity), or to set out design codes for a specific site, area or across their whole area."

'Neighbourhood priorities statement', which was to provide communities with a "simpler and more accessible way to set out their key priorities and preferences for their local areas. Local authorities will need to take these into account, where relevant, when preparing their local plans for the areas concerned, enabling more communities to better engage in the local plan-making process".

The bill included a "placeholder for a substantive clause which will introduce a 'Street Votes' system that permits residents to propose development on their street and hold a vote on whether it should be given planning permission"

The bill would "make changes so that designated heritage assets, such as registered parks and gardens, World Heritage Sites, protected wreck sites, and registered battlefields, enjoy the same statutory protection in the planning system as listed buildings and conservation areas", and

Proposals that would ensure that planning enforcement worked effectively by extending the period for taking enforcement action to ten years in all cases; introducing enforcement warning notices; increasing fines associated with certain planning breaches; doubling fees for retrospective applications; extending the time period for temporary stop notices from 28 to 56 days; and giving the Planning Inspectorate the power to dismiss certain appeals where the appellant causes undue delay. The scope for appeals against enforcement notices would be tightened so that there was only one opportunity to obtain planning permission retrospectively.

The Officer then gave notice of the progress of the new Central Lincolnshire Local Plan, with the next meeting to be held on 6 June 2022, followed by comments received on the second draft to be published sometime in mid-June 2022.

The Officer then informed Members of the progress with the Neighbourhood Plans. The Sturton by Stow and Stow joint Neighbourhood Plan's referendum was to be held on Thursday, 26 May 2022. The Officer highlighted that the Harpswell and Hemswell joint Neighbourhood Plan had its Regulation 16 submission consultation completed, and was awaiting the selection of an Examiner. The Officer concluded his update by stating that the Hemswell Cliff Neighbourhood Plan's Regulation 16 submission version was soon to be received, and a consultation process was to follow.

Note:               Councillor D. Cotton declared that he was a Member of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan.

In response to a question about the detailed specifics with the street vote proposal and the implications of the strength of the vote in weighing up a recommendation, the Development Management Team Manager stated that the proposal was still in bill form, with this provision being a placeholder, and that full details were not yet available, but early indications are that this would arise at the request of the applicant.