Issue - meetings

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director – Environment, seeking approval of the Local Development Scheme (LDS) attached as Appendix 1 to the report.

It was noted that the LDS was a public statement of Halton Borough Council’s three-year work programme for producing the Local Development Framework (LDF): all Councils were required by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act (2004) to produce an LDS.

This LDS formed the 5^th LDS that had been prepared by Halton Borough Council and moved the preparation of the LDF forward to the 2009/2010 period. The LDS had been reviewed at this stage following the issues highlighted in the Annual Monitoring Report and to ensure that the requirements of PPS12 had been met.

The Board was advised that Government Office for the North West (GONW) was keen for LDSs to become definitive programme management documents and, from 1^st April 2009, would only expect them to be departed from in exceptional circumstances or as agreed in response to annual monitoring. The process for the LDS’ production was outlined within the report for Members’ information and it was noted that this new LDS involved the production and adoption of further Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs), the next stage of consultation on the Core Strategy Development Plan Documents (DPD), and the second stage of consultation on the Waste DPD.

Requirements of the LDS were outlined within the report for Members consideration, together with the questions that GONW would be considering when assessing whether the LDS was “fit for purpose”. Following approval by the Executive Board, the LDS had to be submitted to GONW. It should then come into effect four weeks after being submitted to GONW unless the Secretary of State intervened in this period or requested more time.

Reason for Decision

As required by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and Part 3 Section 10 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Development) (England) Regulations 2004 as amended by the Town and Country Planning (Local Development) (England) Regulations 2008.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable.

Implementation Date

The Local Development Scheme 2009 to be implemented with effect from 1 April 2009.

RESOLVED: That

(1)       the revision to the Local Development Scheme, appended to the report, shall come into effect from 31^st March 2009, or from the date on which the Council receives notification from the Secretary of State in accordance with Regulation 11 (2) of the Town and Country Planning (Local Development) (England) Regulations 2008, whichever is earlier;

(2)       the Operational Director – Environmental and Regulatory Services, in consultation with the Executive Board Member for Planning, Transportation, Regeneration and Renewal, be authorised to make any changes to this document as required by the Planning Inspectorate or the Government Office for the North West; and

(3)       further editorial and technical changes and/or correction of printing errors that do not affect the content be agreed by the Operational Director - Environmental and Regulatory Services before the document is published.