Issue - meetings

Future strategic planning with East Devon, Mid Devon and Teignbridge District Councils and Devon County Council

Meeting: 01/12/2020 - Executive (Item 128)

128 Future strategic planning with East Devon, Mid Devon and Teignbridge District Councils and Devon County Council pdf icon PDF 357 KB

To consider the report of the Director for City Development, Housing and Supporting People.

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

Agreed:

 

RECOMMENDED that Council: -

 

(1)  approve the formal withdrawal of Exeter City Council from preparing the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan (GESP);

 

(2)  support in principle the production of a joint non-statutory plan, to include joint strategy and infrastructure matters, for the Greater Exeter area in partnership with East Devon, Mid Devon and Teignbridge District Councils and Devon County Council. This would be subject to agreement at a later date of details of the scope of the plan, a timetable for its production, the resources required and governance arrangements; and

 

(3)  note that the work to develop Exeter’s Local Plan had commenced, as agreed in the report to Council on 21 July 2020. A report outlining the scope and timescale for the development of the Local Plan would be presented to Members early next year.

 

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Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

 

 

 

Minutes:

The Executive received the report which sought formal agreement for Exeter City Council to withdraw from the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan project and presented alternative options for joint strategic planning approaches for the Greater Exeter area. Members noted that joint strategic planning needed to continue in the form of a non-statutory plan, to be prepared by East Devon, Exeter, Mid Devon and Teignbridge Councils in partnership with Devon County Council.

 

The Director City Development, Housing and Supporting People advised that:-

 

·         much of the work undertaken on the GESP would transfer to both the non-strategic plan and the Local Plan;

·         work had commenced on the preparation of the Local Plan with additional staff to be recruited shortly, the Plan to be developed in consultation with partners;

·         there was no requirement for an Examination of the non-statutory plan by the Planning Inspectorate;

·         although there was no requirement for public consultation on a non-statutory plan, the Councils were likely to want to engage with the public and this would be proposed in a detailed, future paper to Members; and

·         a more detailed report would be submitted to Executive outlining the scope and timetable of the joint non-statutory plan.

 

During the discussion the following points were made:-

 

·         it was crucial to continue to work with neighbouring authorities as much as possible given the extent of developments on either side of the city’s boundary to ensure a strategic approach;

·         the production of the new Local Plan would involve consultation with local stakeholders and the public as required by legislation;

·         both plans would be brought forward with regard to the Government White Paper on Planning, changes to which were anticipated after the recent round of consultation; and

·         the provision of additional housing of 12,000 on the eight identified strategic sites in the city would require a visionary approach given the limited availability of land and Exeter’s role as a major travel to work and regional centre.

 

RECOMMENDED that Council: -

 

(1)  approve the formal withdrawal of Exeter City Council from preparing the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan (GESP);

 

(2)  support in principle the production of a joint non-statutory plan, to include joint strategy and infrastructure matters, for the Greater Exeter area in partnership with East Devon, Mid Devon and Teignbridge District Councils and Devon County Council. This would be subject to agreement at a later date of details of the scope of the plan, a timetable for its production, the resources required and governance arrangements; and

 

(3)  note that the work to develop Exeter’s Local Plan had commenced, as agreed in the report to Council on 21 July 2020. A report outlining the scope and timescale for the development of the Local Plan would be presented to Members early next year.