Agenda and draft minutes

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Baker, Brine, Crews, Laurie Davies, Katrina Davis, Pearcy and Schoemaker.

To receive declarations of interest.

There were none.

To brief Members on the current status of the draft Local Plan.

The Chair of Environment Committee, Councillor Turner, introduced the update on the Local Plan and advised Members that the Local Plan was currently going through the planning inspectorate process and therefore there were no decisions being asked of Council at that time.

She provided an extensive history on the creation of the local plan and highlighted the following key points:

• In September 2017, the Environment Committee approved a timetable for the local plan review and approved an issues and options paper for public consultation.
• In October 2018, the Environment Committee approved an emerging strategy for further public consultation.
• In 2019 the Environment Committee approved a draft local plan for further public consultation.
• In October 2020 a final additional housing options document was approved by the Environment Committee for public consultation.
• Consultation had been carried out in stages from the start of the plan making process. The first three consultation stages had involved public exhibitions meetings with town and parish councils, key stakeholders and hard to reach groups. The informal consultation for the additional housing options document took place during the Covid-19 pandemic and as such was an online process. All of the documents relating to the consultations were available in the examination library.
• In April 2021, the Environment Committee resolved to recommend to council the formal submission of the draft local plan. On 29 April 2021, the Council resolved to approve the draft local plan for publication. This was followed by an 8-week formal consultation process in accordance with Regulation 19.
• In October 21, the draft plan was submitted to the Inspectors however it had taken a couple of years before the inspectors were appointed and the hearings began in March 2023.
• During the summer break in August 2023 the Inspectors wrote to the Council setting out concerns with specific areas of soundness around 3 key issues:

1.    The strategic road network, specifically motorway junctions 12 and 14.

2.    Provision of the pedestrian and cycle bridge over the motorway at site PS37 (Wisloe) on the grounds of viability and deliverability.

3.    Public transport aspects in relation to site PS36 (Sharpness).

• Since the initial letter, the Council had worked with key stakeholders, including the County Council, South Gloucestershire Council and National Highways to address the soundness concerns and in particular the concern in relation to the strategic road network. The Council had requested a six month pause in order to work with partners to address the concerns.
• The Inspectors were currently considering the request, the council worked with partners to produce a joint action plan which had been submitted to the Inspectors on the 29 November 2023.
• The Inspectors responded in a letter dated 18 December 2023 advising that they were still considering the request for a six month pause and requested further clarification regarding some of the actions. The Council responded to this letter by the deadline of the 19 January 2024 and was currently waiting permission from the Inspectors to publish the response.

Councillor Turner drew Members attention to  ...  view the full minutes text for item CL.055