Issue - meetings

The Executive Member for Planning and Growth said that the council had agreed that a review of the adopted District Plan should be undertaken. She said that the process of preparing a District Plan was a lengthy and complex exercise but was essential to provide plan led development.

Members were advised that the process of updating the District Plan, which could take several years from start to finish, required a wide range of supporting evidence and was subject to public engagement and independent examination through various stages and procedures that were set out in law.

The Executive Member for Planning and Growth said that the current adopted District Plan was enabled by the District Plan Executive Panel, which consisted of a sub-group of Members whose remit was to make recommendations to Council via the Executive on maters associated with the District Plan.

Members were advised that the intention, as set out in the agenda, was to reconvene the District Plan Executive Panel in advance of formal work on the new District Plan starting in early 2026. She said there was an ongoing and continuous need to inform Members of progress both on the preparation of the District Plan, and in respect of feedback from the community.

The Executive Member for Planning and Growth said that the preparation process for the District Plan could be time consuming for Executive meetings, which clearly needed to consider other council business, and which may not allow for Members to drill down into the details of a particular issue.

Members were advised that the District Plan Executive Panel would allow for a full consideration before items were then recommended onto the full Executive, and/or full Council. Three Executive Members would sit on the Panel and with all other Members able to attend open sessions, so that everyone could have full input to the discussion.

The Executive Member for Planning and Growth advised that all Members would be able to question Planning Policy Officers on the pros and cons of an issue. She said the District Plan Executive Panel had the flexibility to convene meetings that were open to the public with agendas and minutes made available on the council’s website.

Members were advised that any items considered by the District Plan Executive Panel would be presented to the Executive and to Full Council. Councillor Glover-Ward proposed that the recommendation in the report be supported.

Councillor Goldspink seconded the proposal and said that she was delighted that this huge amount of work was being taken on, and that she was extra pleased that all Councillors were being invited to attend if there was a particular part of an agenda that was being discussed. Councillor Goldspink said it was excellent that this was going to be an open and collaborative process.

Councillor Hart said that it was great that the District Plan Executive Panel was going to be an open meeting for people to contribute. She asked how information was going to be disseminated so that Members  ...  view the full minutes text for item 129

The Executive Member for Planning and Growth presented the report on the District Plan Executive Panel. She said that the process of preparing the plan was a lengthy and complex exercise and required a wide range of supporting evidence. She said that the report was recommending that the District Plan Executive Panel be reconvened so that the panel could make recommendations to Council, via the Executive associated with the District Plan. This would allow the Panel to have full consideration of all issues, and the panel would be made up of three Executive Members and all Members were invited to their meetings.

Councillor Glover-Ward proposed that the recommendations in the report be supported. Councillor Hopewell seconded the proposal.

Councillor Hopewell said that the District Plan was a big piece of work, and it was important that there was an opportunity to look at the detail. She said it was great that all Members could attend and participate, and she encouraged all Members to take advantage of the opportunity.

Councillor Crystall said it was great that the public had access to these meeting and encouraged members to attend.

Councillor E Buckmaster said he was on the previous panel and felt this was the best way to go about developing the District Plan.

Councillor Estop said she welcomed the panel and said that it was great to have a body that was open to contributions from all Members. 

Councillor Dumont asked if there was a mechanism for members of the public to ask questions of the panel.

The Director for Legal, Policy and Governance said if there was a desire from the Executive to include this, he was happy to look at ways to potentially implement it.

Councillor Glover-Wards said she would welcome that and if it could not be done, the public could approach their ward members and ask questions through them.

The motion to support the recommendations having been proposed and seconded was put to the meeting and upon a vote being taken, was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED – to recommend to Council that:

(A)   The District Plan Executive Panel is reconvened as a sub[1]group of Executive for the specific purposes of advancing the new District Plan;

(B)   Three Members are drawn from the Executive to sit on the DPEP, namely Cllrs Vicky Glover-Ward (Chair), Ben Crystall and Joseph Dumont, with Cllr Tim Hoskin nominated as a substitute for Green Party members and Cllr Chris Wilson for Cllr Joseph Dumont, and

(C)   The Council’s website is updated to reflect the formation and purpose of the Panel and forms the primary source of information pertaining to the Panel.