Council are asked to consider the Swale Borough Local Plan Part 1.  Supporting documents can be viewed online at: http://services.swale.gov.uk/meetings/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=149&MId=1364&Ver=4

Copies are available for Councillors to view in the Members’ Room and can be made available to the public on request.

The Cabinet Member for Planning, and Chairman of the Local Development Framework (LDF) Panel, introduced the report which set out the publication version of the Swale Borough Local Plan.  He clarified that Council were being asked to approve the document for publication and subsequent submission to the Planning Inspectorate.  He outlined the work that had been undertaken over many years to produce this document, including the various consultation processes undertaken.  He noted that the emerging Local Plan would also carry more weight in helping to decide planning applications from the publication date (19 December 2014).  He thanked the officers for their hard work and proposed the recommendations.

Councillor Bryan Mulhern seconded the recommendations.

The Leader welcomed the report and the robustness of the process that had been followed.  He considered the Local Plan set out the best proposals for the future of the Borough, and that it was both achievable and realistic in its targets.  He commended Councillor Gerry Lewin for his hard work and thanked all those involved in the process, particularly LDF Panel Members. 

The Leader of the Labour Group made the following points: the development of the Local Plan had been a roller-coaster, with significant additions being made over the past couple of years; there was a lack of Gypsy and Traveller provision; concerns had been raised regarding the housing supply; disproportionate allocations of housing, with only 11% of housing provision proposed for the Faversham area; and he believed the priority afforded the Sittingbourne Northern Relief Road was insufficient.  However, he considered that not approving the Local Plan for submission would be worse as developers could continue to lodge applications for speculative developments and the countryside would gradually be lost.  He also raised concerns that the Planning Inspectorate would reject the Local Plan.

The Leader of the Independent Group advised that he had repeatedly raised the issue of where the Council was going to allocate housing and industry in Faversham, and felt that the approach of promoting several sites for consultation had led to pressure to allocate them all.  Now three applications had been lodged with the Council for major expansion to the west, east and south of the town.  He supported approving the plan for submission as he considered that the alternative was unacceptable.  He stressed the need to highlight to Government that national planning proposals were damaging local areas, and that improvements were needed to the National Planning Policy Framework.

Members made the following comments: this was the most substantive document that the Council produced; it recognised the need to focus on increased creation of industry and commerce before housing; Local Plan documents generate tensions, it was a balance between conservation and providing for essential development; the Planning Committee were responsible for deciding individual planning applications in accordance with the local development plan; the Council had limited options as the consequences of not approving the Local Plan could be disastrous in terms of leading to further speculative development; and the Council needed to concentrate on policies that the Council can deliver.

RESOLVED:

(1)  That the Swale Borough Local Plan and supporting Sustainability Appraisal and Habitats Regulation Assessment be approved for publication and subsequently submission to the Planning Inspectorate.