Agenda and minutes

Resolved: (Unanimously)

That Councillor Alistair Bradley be appointed as Chair for the meeting.

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and invited those members attending to introduce themselves.

The committee noted and thanked Councillor David Borrow for his time and effort as part of the committee having recently stepped down from his cabinet role at Preston City Council.

Apologies for absence had been received from Councillor Elaine Stringfellow (South Ribble) who was substituted by Councillor Kath Unsworth.

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any pecuniary interest in respect of matters contained in this agenda.

If you have a pecuniary interest you must withdraw from the meeting. Normally you should leave the room before the business starts to be discussed. You do, however, have the same right to speak as a member of the public and may remain in the room to enable you to exercise that right and then leave immediately. In either case you must not seek to improperly influence a decision on the matter.

No declarations of interest were made.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

That the minutes of the last meeting, held on Tuesday 3 October 2023, be agreed as an accurate record.

Mike Williamson, of JBA Consulting, will deliver a presentation to the Committee.

The Chair invited Mike Williamson and Laura Thompson from JBA Consulting to the meeting and invited them to deliver a presentation about Strategic Flood Risk Assessments.

The presentation provided the committee with an overview of regulations around undertaking strategic flood risk assessments, the requirements to complete assessments to ensure Local Plans can demonstrate they are ‘sound,’ the different levels of assessments through the Local Plan process and covered the various authorities and stakeholders that may use the assessments.

Responding to queries raised, it was confirmed that United Utilities had been consulted as part of the assessment with further discussions being held on progressing the assessment, particularly with their sewage network teams. In relation to the current work on the new Central Lancashire Local Plan, once site assessments have been completed there would be a better understanding of what sites are affected. Sites falling in a flood risk area would be reconsidered once supply of land available is confirmed, if required.  

Presentation by Planning Policy Officers led by the Planning Policy Manager (Preston)

The Chair invited Zoe Senior, Senior Planning Officer at Preston City Council and Jennifer Clough, Investment and Skills Manager at South Ribble Borough Council to deliver a presentation on their work around employment and how this can be supported through the new Central Lancashire Local Plan.

The Committee heard that Policy 15 of the Central Lancashire Core Strategy, along with subsequent supplementary planning documents, provided a policy to ensure developers support and improve skills and economic inclusion. The supplementary planning documents details how the policy will be implemented, with employment and skills statements required at the planning application stage for major developments and secured through planning conditions. At Preston, Calico are commissioned by the Council to monitor compliance with employment plans and ensure targets are being achieved.

The benefits and positive impact were highlighted through a number of case studies and increasing figures of work experience placements, apprenticeships and training undertaken.

At South Ribble, ensuring employment and skills was embedded within the work that the new Economic Strategy aims to deliver. A key part of the strategy was the South Ribble Skills Factory which is a programme of work that aimed to create the right conditions for the economy to thrive and residents to access jobs, this included apprenticeships, support for businesses, support for people returning to work and career planning support.

On ensuring developers comply and meet expected targets around employability, Members were informed that in Preston, as the employment plan was secured through planning conditions the usual enforcement process would be followed or developers may be required to submit a variation or a new application.

Report attached to be presented by the Project Director (Local Plan) (Chorley).

The Head of Spatial Planning (Chorley) presented an update report on progress of key pieces of ongoing work in the development of the new Central Lancashire Local Plan.

A robust timeframe was being developed to ensure delivery of the required work – the intention remained to submit the new Plan to the Secretary of State under the current regime by the deadline of 30 June 2025.

Draft findings of the employment land study, of over fifty identified sites, had been provided to officers with a final report to be presented at the next meeting of the committee outlining further details and implications.

A proposed methodology for the Strategic Transport Assessment had been agreed following discussions with Lancashire County Council and Jacobs consultants and was due to commence imminently. It was suggested that representatives from Jacobs attend a future meeting and deliver a presentation for the Committee.

Meetings of the Central Lancashire Strategic Planning Joint Advisory Committee for the 2023/24 Municipal Year:

·         6.30pm Wednesday, 7 February 2024 – South Ribble Borough Council

·         6.30pm Thursday, 28 March 2024 – Preston City Council

The Committee noted the remaining meetings for the 2023/24 municipal year as follows:

·         6.30pm Wednesday, 7 February 2024 – South Ribble Borough Council

·         6.30pm Thursday, 28 March 2024 – Preston City Council

To consider the exclusion of the press and public for the following items of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

By Virtue of Paragraph 3: Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

Condition: Information is not exempt if it is required to be registered under- The Companies Act 1985, The Friendly Societies Act 1974, The Friendly Societies Act 1992, The Industrial and Provident Societies Acts 1965 to 1978, The Building Societies Act 1986 (recorded in the public file of any building society, within the meaning of the Act) The Charities Act 1993.

Information is exempt to the extent that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Information is not exempt if it relates to proposed development for which the local planning authority may grant itself planning permission pursuant to Regulation 3 of the Town & Country Planning General Regulations 1992(a).

Resolved: (Unanimously)

That the public be excluded from this meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that there is likely to be disclosure of exempt information which is described in the paragraphs of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 which are specified against the heading to each item, and that in all the circumstances of the case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing it.

The Principal Planning Officer (Chorley) to present a verbal update.

The Principal Planning Officer (Chorley) presented an update on progress around assessing identified sites and the ongoing work with partner organisations to complete them. The Committee were also provided an update on the supply of housing and employment land.

Resolved – that the update be noted.

The Project Director (Local Plan) (Chorley) to present a verbal update.

The Head of Spatial Planning (Chorley) presented a verbal report which provided an estimated financial forecast for the three authorities based on outstanding work required to complete and adopt the new Central Lancashire Local Plan.

Resolved – that the update be noted.