Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Wallfields, Hertford

Contact: Martin Ibrahim  Tel: (01279) 502173 Email:  martin.ibrahim@eastherts.gov.uk

Note: or at the conclusion of the Executive meeting whichever is later 

Media

Items
No. Item

184.

Chairman's Announcements

To receive any announcements.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chairman welcomed Members and the public to the meeting and reminded everyone that the meeting was being webcast.

 

He referred to the recent by-election held in Watton-at-Stone at which Sophie Bell had been elected.  He welcomed Councillor S Bell to her first Council meeting.

 

The Chairman invited the Leader to make a statement.

 

The Leader made the following statement:

 

“At 2.15 pm, the Director of Planning at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government notified the Chief Executive of East Hertfordshire District Council that the Secretary of State, Rt. Hon James Brokenshire MP has today issued a holding direction under section 21a of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (inserted by section 145(5) of the Housing and Planning Act 2016) on the adoption of the East Herts District Plan, due to be adopted this evening.

 

Accordingly item 4 is being withdrawn from tonight’s Agenda, because this means we are currently unable to adopt the District Plan.

 

I am, of course,  very disappointed with this decision both because it has been made at such a late stage in the process and also because the Plan was inspected by a senior and experienced planning inspector (appointed by the Secretary of State) and the Council has fully accepted all of her recommendations and suggestions.

 

We remain confident in the soundness of the Plan and will work with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to resolve any issues it has with the Plan.  Due to the impact that this will have on the local and wider community and in view of the thorough examination of the Plan that has already taken place, we will encourage the Secretary of State to act expeditiously to avoid further uncertainty.  We are all too well aware of the speculative development that has taken place in parts of our district because of the lack of a 5 year land supply.  None of us want to be in that position again.”

185.

Apologies for Absence

To receive any Members’ apologies for absence.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Apologies for absence had been submitted on behalf of Councillors P Ballam, G Cutting, R Henson, Mrs D Hollebon, L Radford, J Taylor and C Woodward.

186.

Executive Report - 11 September 2018 pdf icon PDF 37 KB

To receive a report from the Leader of the Council on the Executive’s recommendations on the matters below:

Additional documents:

Minutes:

As noted earlier in the meeting (Minute 184 refers), this item had been withdrawn.

187.

Braughing Neighbourhood Plan Adoption pdf icon PDF 42 KB

To receive a report from the Leader of the Council.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Leader of the Council submitted a report seeking approval to adopt the Braughing Neighbourhood Parish Plan following the Referendum of 26 July 2018.  Council noted the outcome of the Referendum with an overall ‘yes’ vote of 327 against 72 who voted ‘no’.  Under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended by the Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017), the Council was now able to make the Neighbourhood Plan as more than half of those voting in the Referendum had voted in favour of the Plan being used to determine planning applications in the area. 

 

Councillor P Boylan, speaking as the Parish Council Chairman, praised the extensive work undertaken by local volunteers, some of whom were present in the public gallery, and paid tribute to the effort and commitment shown by a number of contributors.  He expressed his thanks to everyone involved.

 

Councillor B Harris-Quinney, as the local ward Member, expressed his support for the proposal.

 

Councillor L Haysey moved, and Councillor P Boylan seconded, a motion that the recommendation now detailed, be approved.  After being put to the meeting, and a vote taken, the motion was declared CARRIED.

 

Council approved the recommendation now detailed.

 

RESOLVED – that the Braughing Parish Neighbourhood Plan, as detailed at Essential Reference Paper ‘B’ to the report submitted, be formally ‘made’ and used as part of the Development Plan.