Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED – That Councillor Alan Cullens of Chorley Council be appointed as Chair for this meeting.

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting of the Central Lancashire Local Development Framework Joint Advisory Committee.

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Lesley-Ann Fenton (Director of Partnerships, Planning and Policy for Chorley Borough Council), John Dalton (Director of Planning and Housing for South Ribble Borough Council) and Steve Browne (Director of Strategy and Policy for Lancashire County Council).

Minutes of the last meeting held on 9 June 2011 (enclosed).

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the last meeting of the Central Lancashire Local Development Framework Joint Advisory Committee held on 9 June 2011 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

The report briefs Members of the overall outcomes of the Central Lancashire Core Strategy examination hearing sessions to date (report enclosed).

The Central Lancashire LDF Team presented a report which summarised the main issues and outcomes of the examination hearing sessions that had been held so far.  Matters which led to most debate and consideration were related to housing requirements, employment land, sustainable resources and the flexibility of the strategy.

RESOLVED - That the report be noted.

2.         Accept the need to consider additional strategic sites or locations of land for housing, and to direct the Inspector towards selecting those sites which relate best to the existing pattern of development, including the phased and managed release of land at North West Preston and Pickering's Farm.

3.         Endorse the redrafting of relevant sections of the Core Strategy in accordance with the Inspector's recommendations, and to bring the new wording to the Full Councils for approval, along with a revised timetable towards adoption.

4.         Note that the adoption of the Core Strategy is most likely to be postponed until early 2012.

The Central Lancashire LDF Team presented a report which updated Members of work on preparing the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Charging Schedules and their likely content.

As separate CIL Charging Authorities, the three district Councils would be required to approve their own individual Charging Schedule.  However, to ensure the three districts adopted Charging Schedules that would be complementary to each other, it was proposed that these should be prepared jointly and consultants had been appointed to assist in the process.

 An associated matter to consider was how spending priorities for collected CIL monies should be set and revised over time given the integrated nature of infrastructure needs across Central Lancashire. In this respect Members recognised that the Joint Advisory Committee could have a role. .

RESOLVED – To support the proposed role of the Joint Advisory Committee in acting to steer the establishment and on-going review of cross boundary infrastructure funding priorities.

The report advises Members that the Government has begun a consultation on proposed new regulations governing the process by which local councils prepare their development plan and associated documents (report enclosed).

The Central Lancashire LDF Team introduced a report which advised Members that the Government had begun a consultation on proposed new regulations governing the process by which local councils prepare their development plan and associated documents.

Further clarity was required in the areas of the proposed transition from the suite of documents contained in the Local Development Framework to the production of a single local plan, the duty to cooperate regarding utility companies, the role of the examining Inspector’s report recommendations and the National Planning Policy Framework conformity procedure.  More importantly authorities currently preparing Core Strategies, Site Allocations documents and supplementary planning documents needed reassurance that their current work programmes would not be undermined by the proposed changes.

The district Councils had until the 7 October 2011 to submit any representation to the Government, after which the Government would consider all responses received with the aim to publish its reply to the consultation exercise by 1 November 2011.

RESOLVED -

1.        That the report be noted.

2.        To support responses to the Government on the matter of greater clarity for the continued production and adoption of Core Strategy, Site Allocations DPDs and other related documents.

The report sets out the key matters put forward in the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the implications that these may have for the Central Lancashire authorities, and the possible grounds for making representations (report enclosed).

The Central Lancashire LDF Team presented a report which set out key matters put forward in the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the implications that these may have for the Central Lancashire authorities, and the possible grounds for making representations.

The report drew out the main issues where responses to the draft document should be made and particularly where additional clarification was required regarding the possible  affect on the adoption of the Core Strategy.

The Government invited views on the content and format of the new framework which are to be received by 17 October 2011.  It was important for the three Councils to respond consistently on those matters that affected all three authorities, and the Central Lancashire LDF Team would be able to co-ordinate responses, however Councils would need to reflect their individual authority’s response at a local level.

RESOLVED –

1.         That the report be noted

2.         District Councils to make their views known to the Government.

The report informs Members about the content of the Local Transport Plan (LTP) – a draft Implementation Plan for Lancashire for the next three years which is out for consultation until the 12 September 2011 (report enclosed).

The Central Lancashire LDF Team produced a report which informed Members of the content of the draft Implementation Plan which set out the  County Council’s transport priorities across Lancashire and the capital programme of transport improvements.  The Plan also set local programmes for each local authority, which focused on the envisaged expenditure of Local Transport Plan (LTP) funding.  Each district profile covered key issues/characteristics from a transport perspective and a commentary of the proposals.

The LTP Strategy, which was endorsed by Lancashire County Council's full Council in May 2011, set out seven priorities as an approach to transport and travel.  Three of the seven priorities were identified as the main focus:

·         Supporting economic growth

·         Improving child safety

·         Maintaining existing transport assets

Councillor Swindells welcomed the proposal to improve road safety in principal but questioned the effectiveness of the proposed 20 mph restriction in residential areas.  In response, the Head of Planning for Lancashire County Council advised that drivers needed to be educated and that the success of the scheme would be realised in the long term.

Councillor Heaton commented that traffic calming measures on roads had only been implemented in the past based on the accident rate of that road, the Head of Planning for Lancashire County Council clarified that the proposal did not replace the existing road safety programme.

Councillor Cartwright sought clarification on the programming of Broughton By-pass given its dependence on developer contributions. The Head of Planning at Lancashire County Council indicated the timing of the scheme would be kept under review.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted that Lancashire County Council will be consulting with the district Councils.

Members will receive a verbal update at the meeting.

District Councils updated the meeting on the progression of their individual Councils site allocations and development management policies plans.

To note that the next scheduled meeting of the Joint Advisory Committee is to be held at Preston City Council on Tuesday, 8 November 2011 at 5.30pm.

The next meeting of the Central Lancashire LDF Joint Advisory Committee would be held at Preston City Council, on Tuesday, 8 November 2011 at 5.30pm.