Resolved: (Unanimously)

That Councillor James Flannery be appointed as Chair for the meeting.

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Mal Donoghue (South Ribble Borough Council).

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.

There were none.

To be approved as a correct record.

The minutes erroneously referred to “two strategic sites in Cuerdon” and it was agreed that the minutes be amended to reflect that one site is in Cuerdale and one in Cuerden.

A query was also raised as to why the Education Planning item, which had been deferred at the previous meeting, was not on the agenda. It was explained, in response, that officers were currently in discussions about bringing the item to each authorities’ Local Plan Working Group to enable discussions with wider groups, which members supported.

Resolved: (For: 4 Abstain: 2)

For: Councillors Bradley, Borrow, Flannery and Morwood

Abstain: Councillors Green and Tomlinson

That the minutes of the previous meeting, held on Tuesday 22 March 2022, be approved as a correct record subject to amendment as above.

Report of the Central Lancashire Local Plan Co-ordinator attached.

The committee received a report of the Central Lancashire Planning Local Plan Co-ordinator which presented an update on the progress of the Central Lancashire Local Plan review.

Members were advised of the following works both completed and ongoing:

·         Additional support commissioned from consultants

·         Consultation with owners of existing allocated sites not submitted for consideration in the new Local Plan

·         Heritage Impact Assessments (HIA) undertaken to address specific constraints Level 1 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) completed with work underway to identify sites to undertake the sequential test

·         Draft options on housing requirement for Central Lancashire to be presented to Full Council at each authority

·         New transport model for Central Lancashire being prepared by consultants commissioned by Lancashire County Council and expected in following weeks

·         Detailed assessment on greenbelt harm/landscape sensitivity to be commissioned

·         Aspinall Verdi preparing Infrastructure Development Plan (IDP) to identify infrastructure needs to ensure delivery of new Local Plan

·         Arc4 working on updating the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA) to assess any changes in need

·         Open Space Assessment underway by KKP

Some delays were acknowledged in commissioning these works but officers remained confident that consultation on the draft Local Plan would begin this year with publication in December 2023. Members welcomed the progress made and noted the report.

A presentation will be delivered at the meeting.

The committee received a presentation on the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill which was published in May 2022 and proposed a number of reforms to drive local growth, regenerate towns and cities and improve the planning system.

Members were informed that the Bill and its policy paper focused on giving more power to local leaders; creating a plan-led system; delivering infrastructure; creating beautiful places and improving environmental outcomes; regeneration; and improving the wider planning procedure.

Specific examples of how the Bill sought to achieve this included:

·         Creation of Spatial Development Strategies and collaboration between neighbouring authorities on these

·         National development management policies e.g. on energy usage

·         Shift to a digital focus to Plan-making

·         Appointment of Local Plan Commissioners to support or take over Plan-making if local planning authorities fail to meet statutory duties

·         New mechanisms for ‘Gateway’ checks during Local Plan reviews to identify any major issues and speed up the process for adoption

·         Giving neighbourhood plans greater weight in planning decisions and allowing parish councils and neighbourhood forums to produce a simpler ‘neighbourhood priorities statement’ for the Local Planning Authority to take into account when preparing Local Plan

·         ‘Street Vote’ powers to allow residents to bring forward proposals to extend or redevelop their properties subject to a street referendum

·         Removal of requirement to maintain a rolling five-year supply of deliverable land for housing, where the Local Plan is up to date

Further work would be undertaken by the government on the detail of the regulations with consultation on how the provisions can be taken forward.

The Bill would come into force from 2024 upon receiving Royal Assent and associated regulations and changes to national policy are in place. Members expressed some doubt as to whether this work would be completed by 2024 and whether the Bill would be delayed.

The update was noted.

Report of Lancashire County Council to follow.

The committee received a report of Lancashire County Council which provided an update on the development of a new transport model for Central Lancashire.

It was advised that updating the current transport model would be beneficial in analysing future travel patterns and demand across a variety transport modes. It would also provide a robust position for the Central Lancashire Local Plan and the draft transport masterplan would be issued alongside the publication version of the Local Plan.

There had been a slight delay in acquiring passenger data from bus operators due to data processing and a need for non-disclosure agreements but members were assured that other aspects of the model upgrade had progressed sufficiently to minimise the impact of this delay.

Members queried why the report did not make reference to rail travel and were advised in response that this will be included in the final masterplan and that the model will assess opportunities for increasing rail travel and new train stations.

Some concern was expressed that the model would be based on data up to October 2019, prior to the Covid pandemic which impacted use of public transport.

It was suggested that a meeting be held to discuss the impact of the pandemic on the use of public transport and the Central Lancashire Planning Local Plan Co-ordinator undertook to relay the suggestion to Lancashire County Council.

The report was noted.

A verbal update will be provided at the meeting.

The Central Lancashire Planning Local Plan Co-ordinator provided a verbal update on the Local Development Scheme and its timescales for publication.

Discussions were ongoing to finalise a schedule for additional works but officers remained confident that a draft version of the Local Development Scheme would be published and out for consultation by the end of 2022.

Members welcomed the progress made and noted the update.

To note that the next meeting of the Central Lancashire Strategic Planning Joint Advisory Committee will be held on Tuesday, 20 September 2022 from 6:30pm at Preston City Council.

The next meeting of the Central Lancashire Strategic Planning Joint Advisory Committee will be held at Preston City Council on Tuesday, 20 September 2022 from 6:30pm

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

A verbal update will be provided at the meeting.

The committee discussed a range of confidential matters relating to the Local Plan and wider developments across Central Lancashire.

It was acknowledged that a significant amount of work was ongoing and the committee and each Local Plan Working Group would receive more detail at future meetings.

A request was made for Local Plan Working Groups, particularly at South Ribble, to receive full reports as opposed to verbal updates