Issue - meetings

The report provides the context for the attached draft Preferred Options Consultation paper.  It sets out the background and progress to date of Local Plan Part 2, describes the main issues pertinent to this stage of the Plan’s development, and sets out the views of the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee which discussed and supported the content of the consultation document at its meeting on 19 March 2018.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Local Plan Part 2 Preferred Options document be approved for consultation.

The Executive received a report that set out the context for the Preferred Options Consultation Document. The report described the background and progress to date of the Local Plan Part 2 and the main issues pertinent to this stage of the Plan’s development. It also set out the views of the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee which had discussed and supported the content of the consultation document at its meeting on 19 March 2018.

Before considering the report on the Preferred Options Consultation, the Leader invited Cllr Mike Band to make a statement of clarification with regard to the Surrey Hills AONB Board’s position in relation to the legal challenges to Waverley’s adopted Local Plan Part 1.

Cllr Band reiterated the statement made by the Board, that the Surrey Hills AONB Board has no role whatsoever in publically challenging the policies of its constituent councils. Cllr Band confirmed that he had robustly defended queries by the Board in relation to Waverley’s Local Plan Part 1, and these discussions had been minuted.

The Leader thanked Cllr Band for clarifying again the position and stance of the Surrey Hills AONB Board.

Cllr Knowles had given notice to speak in accordance with Procedure Rule 23, and outlined his major safety concerns in relation to the Key Site Haslemere (DS07), which showed the potential loss of two car parks with no increase in off-street parking elsewhere, and also the loss of the fire station; and, 38 Petworth Road (DS14) where a planning appeal had been dismissed recently on traffic safety grounds.

Cllr Hyman had also given notice to speak in accordance with Procedure Rule 23, and referred to the legal challenges to the Local Plan Part 1: he asked if the Council intended to defend the challenges, and what impact the pending challenges would have on determination of planning applications.

The Leader advised that she would be making a statement with regard to the defence of the legal challenges, but invited the Portfolio Holder for Planning to respond to the other points raised.

Cllr Storey reassured Cllr Hyman that the legal challenges to Local Plan Part 1 would have no impact on the Council’s ability to make planning decisions based on the strategic policies set out in the adopted Local Plan, or the progress of Local Plan Part 2.

Cllr Storey added that in relation to the Haslemere Key Site, this had been in the public domain since August 2016 and proposed by a Haslemere Town Councillor in the 2014 Call for Sites. Whilst the site did include the fire station, it did not necessarily mean that it would be included in any redevelopment. With regard to land at 38 Petworth Road, the Planning Inspector’s comments had been taken account of in the Preferred Options Consultation Document. As part of the consultation, he welcomed comments in relation to either of these sites, and any others.

Cllr Storey advised that the intention had been to commence the consultation on 23 April, but would now  ...  view the full minutes text for item 114