Issue - meetings

Purpose of Report

To update the Executive on the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan Pre-Submission Consultation Draft.

To seek delegated approval for officers to respond to the consultation. 

Decision

(1)  That the Pre-Submission version of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan be supported. 

(2)  That delegated authority be given to officers to respond to the consultation by agreeing that the Plan had been ‘Positively Prepared’, is ‘Justified’, is ‘Effective’, is ‘Consistent with national policy’ and is ‘In compliance with the Duty to Co-Operate’, as set out in Appendix 2 to the report.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not to support the Pre-Submission Local Plan. However, this could result in the Plan being delayed or in a worst-case scenario not being adopted which would weaken the Council’s ability to plan for the City’s growth in a sustainable manner.

Reasons for the Decision

The last version of the plan, as seen by the Executive, was the Consultation Draft produced for consultation during June to August 2021. The consultation had focused on an online consultation hub, which had contained all of the key documents including the plan and had provided direct links to maps showing the geographic representation of the plan and supporting evidence. 

Approximately 400 people or organisations had responded to the consultation with in-excess of 2,000 comments in relation to the policies in the plan or the supporting information. Following the consultation on the draft Local Plan in the summer of 2021, Local Plan officers reviewed each policy in light of the responses received. 

The Local Plan had entered its final round of public consultation, which was expected to commence on 15 March 2022 and conclude on 9 May 2022.  Although the consultation was open to the public, a crucial aspect of this consultation was that any comments received would be considered by an independent Planning Inspector during the public examination phase of the Plan.

Consultees were asked to respond to specific questions around issues of ‘soundness’ of the plan and whether the plan had been ‘positively prepared’ and ‘consistent with national policy’. These were questions which were legally required under this phase of the plan.