Issue - meetings

To receive a report from the Service Manager (Growth) seeking agreement to act upon the Examiner’s report into the Buckden Neighbourhood Development Plan.

Executive Councillor: J Neish.

Agreed that the District Council should act upon the Examiner’s report to accept the recommended modifications and progress the neighbourhood plan to referendum.

With the aid of a report by the Service Manager Growth (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Cabinet gave consideration to a report seeking agreement to act upon the Examiner’s report into the Buckden Neighbourhood Plan and to progress the Plan to a referendum on whether or not it should be brought into force as part of the statutory development plan.

In introducing the report, the Deputy Executive Leader and the Executive Councillor for Strategic Planning outlined the background to the receipt of the Examiners report which had been received on 23rd October 2020. The Examiner had recommended that with appropriate modifications the Neighbourhood Plan would meet the basic conditions against which it is required to be tested and so should progress to referendum. The modifications and recommendations had been discussed and agreed with representatives of Buckden Parish Council.

The Cabinet were advised that in the usual circumstances following the decision of the Cabinet to act upon the Examiners report, the Neighbourhood Plan would now proceed to a referendum within 56 days. However the Covid-19 health emergency had resulted in several amendments to the normal process and given that all elections and referendums had been postponed until 6th May 2021, it was proposed that the referendum for the Buckden Neighbourhood Plan be held on this date. Buckden Parish Council had had indicated their support for this approach.

Whereupon and having noted that the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Performance and Growth) had supported the recommendations within the report, it was

RESOLVED

that the District Council should act upon the Examiner’s report to accept the recommended modifications and progress the neighbourhood plan to referendum.

The Panel are to receive a report on the Buckden Neighbourhood Development Plan: Examination outcome and progression to referendum.

By means of a report by the Service Manager Growth (Policy, Infrastructure and Strategic Development) (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Buckden Neighbourhood Plan was presented to the Panel.

During the introduction of the report, Members were informed that if the Neighbourhood Plan proceeded to referendum then the earliest date a referendum could take place was on 6th May 2021. It was noted that once the Cabinet accepted the recommended modifications, then the Neighbourhood Plan would carry significant weight in the planning process up until the referendum.

Following the introduction, the Chairman expressed a positive view of the Neighbourhood Plan. In particular, he stated that it was pleasing to view that the Parish Council had prioritised a list of projects.

A comment was made by Councillor Chapman regarding the references within the Neighbourhood Plan to the fact that it conformed to European Union (EU) regulations in the context of the United Kingdom’s departure from the EU. The Panel was informed that as things stood, the Neighbourhood Plan must conform to EU regulations until the regulations no longer apply.

The deletions the Examiner had made also was raised by Councillor Chapman. It was confirmed that the Parish Council had agreed to the deletions and that the amended version had been presented to Members.

Councillor Chapman made a further comment about the possibility that the Localism Act allowed local communities to develop a Neighbourhood Plan which conflicted with the District Council’s Local Plan. However, the Panel was informed that, according to legislation, Neighbourhood Plans must be consistent with the District Council’s Local Plan.

Attention is drawn to a cycle route shown to be in Grafham Parish by Councillor Gardener. It was confirmed to Members that the cycle route referenced only showed an indicative route and that policies could only be applied within the Neighbourhood Plan area.

In response to Councillor Roberts asking about the Neighbourhood Plan process, Members were informed that the Neighbourhood Plan was a collaborative effort between the District Council and the Parish Council and that it proceeded through several stages before it was presented to Members at the meeting.

Councillor Morris asked about the long-term plans to address the traffic egress issues from Buckden. Members were reminded that the Neighbourhood Plan did not address those concerns and that this was an issue for the Highway Authority and Highways England.

The Panel

RESOLVED

that the Cabinet be recommended to act upon the Examiner’s report and accept the modifications and progress the Neighbourhood Plan to referendum.