Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Director of City Development.

Agreed:

RESOLVED that

(1)   the Outline Draft Exeter Plan (content included in Appendix A of the report) be approved as the basis for public consultation for eight weeks commencing on 26 September 2022; and

(2)   delegated authority be granted to the Director of City Development, in consultation with the Council Leader and Portfolio Holder for City Development, to agree minor changes to the Outline Draft Plan content before it is published for consultation.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

The Executive received the report on the progress made on the new Exeter Plan (Local Plan) which sought approval for undertaking a public consultation on the ‘Outline Draft’ plan which set out the city vision, spatial strategy, draft strategic policies and potential development sites for comment.

A previous public consultation had been held in Autumn 2021 and additional work had been undertaken based on the evidence and issues identified to prepare the outline Draft Plan for consultation. Exeter City Council had a statutory responsibility to prepare planning policy for the city, and the new Exeter Local Plan would replace the Core Strategy and the Local Plan First Review documents. Consultation was an important part of the process for preparing the Exeter Plan and fulfilled the statutory requirements and the adopted Statement of Community Involvement

Members were provided a presentation on the draft Exeter Plan, (appended to the minutes), and particular points raised in the presentation included:-

·        The Exeter Plan was the new name for the Local Plan, and would become a statutory planning policy for the city, once adopted;

·        The Exeter Plan was the first new local plan in 10 years and looked ahead to 2040 and also included the Councils Exeter Vision 2040;

·        The consultation and plan would be available in a digital format, both online and on a new digital platform to be more interactive and accessible;

·        Consultation and engagement would also be available in hard copy, available at public events with available questions on each section of the document;

·        To ensure more residents could make their voices heard, a variety of engagement and events were planned;

·        The plan would include the spatial strategy to encompass net zero, health and wellbeing and city centre vitality;

·        There would be a focus on development of brownfield sites and good access to green infrastructure;

·        Liveable Exeter was an anchor of the plan with the intent to build homes, to reinvigorate existing communities and create sustainable neighbourhoods;

·        Details of the evidence, policies, and various development sites were highlighted; and

·        The consultation would run between 26 September and 21 November 2022 with another consultation to be held in 2023. A final draft of the document will be published for comment ahead of submission to the Planning Inspectorate for examination.

Councillor Jobson, as an opposition group leader, spoke on this item. She thanked the officers for the hard work that been put into the plan, and enquired when a list of dates and venues will be made available to start informing local residents.

Councillor D. Moore, as an opposition group leader, spoke on this item. She welcomed the presentation and the work that had been undertaken. She enquired on the following:-

·        would there be a list for community facilities and health services included as part of the evidence base?

·        What was the contribution from Exeter University, who made a large contribution to the city and would their new plan contribute or form part of the Exeter Plan for public consultation?

·        Could the Liveable Exeter  ...  view the full minutes text for item 89