Agenda item

Report of the Cabinet Member for Planning and Building Control

Having declared an interest in this item, the Mayor handed the Chair to the Deputy Mayor. 

Introducing the report, the Cabinet Member for Planning and Building Control said that, on behalf of the parish council,  the Mayor has been a huge driver of this process, which started its journey in 2015.  The outcome is  testimony to the determination, focus and commitment of everyone involved – parish councillors, borough councillors and officers – and, as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework, will allow the community to play a greater part in the planning process, focussing on its priorities and ensuring its local character is preserved. He noted the high level of public approval, which demonstrates the strong connection between the community and the parish council, and was delighted to propose that the neighbourhood plan be adopted.

There were no questions.

In debate, Members welcomed the report and made the following comments:

-       the Neighbourhood Plan has been ten years in the making and involved many people, with thousands taking part in the consultations.  The community’s aspirations, together with its character and heritage, will now have to be taken into account in planning decisions; this is a great result;

-       this experience and outcome should be used as a model going forward to other areas of the town with similar aspirations;

-       from a climate and environmental point of view, this is a great result and will make a positive difference.  It shows that the parish council takes environmental issues seriously, and it will help with CBC’s mission going forward;

-       this is an enormous and outstanding achievement – congratulations to all in Leckhampton with Warden Hill parish – but anywhere in Cheltenham can do the same, not just parished areas.  A neighbourhood forum needs to be created first, which can be a challenge, but hopefully this success will make it a little bit easier going forward.

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Building Control thanked Members for their positive comments, and added that another key positive is that the neighbourhood share of CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) receipts increase from 15 to 25% with the neighbourhood plan in place – a significant benefit for the community.   

RESOLVED THAT:

a)        Council approves the request to ‘make’ the Leckhampton with Warden Hill Neighbourhood Plan at Appendix 3, as part of Cheltenham Borough Council statutory Development Plan following the outcome of the positive referendum result;

b)        authority is delegated to the Director of Planning and Building Control, in agreement with the Qualifying Body (Parish Council), to correct any minor errors such as spelling, grammar, typographical formatting, and clarify policy mapping that do not materially affect the substantive content of the Plan;

c)        authority is delegated to the Director of Planning and Building Control, to prepare the decision statement for publication.

Unanimous

Returning to the chair, the Mayor thanked Members for their support, saying the last eight years have been an amazing exercise and great learning process for him, helping to create the first neighbourhood plan in Cheltenham.