Issue - meetings

To seek endorsement of the Core Strategy Consultation including:

-         Appendix 1 - Officer Responses to Core Strategy Consultation 21st January – 4th March 2011;

-         Appendices 2 to 8 - as part of the Local Development Framework (LDF) Evidence Base; and

-         Appendix 9 – Response to the Draft National Planning Policy Framework

(Report attached – Because of their size, the appendices are available via the Council’s website and, for elected Members, in the respective Group Rooms.)

The Committee considered material related to the previous consultation on the Borough’s Revised Preferred Draft Core Strategy in early 2011 and material that was to contribute towards the evidence base. Officers confirmed that, other than the Landscape Character Assessment, the documents under consideration would carry very limited weight in terms of the consideration of planning applications at present.

Consideration of Appendix 3, the Transport Assessment, was deferred to a later meeting to permit further discussion of its content with the authors.

Officers advised that some street names in Appendix 7, the Affordable Housing Viability Assessment, needed to be amended. Officers also advised that comments from external parties had been received on Appendix 4, the Employment Land Review, more recently and that Officers would consider and, if necessary, respond to these in the normal course of events.

RECOMMEND that

1)         the Officers’ responses to the Revised Preferred Draft Core Strategy consultation, as attached at Appendix 1 to the report, be endorsed as the Borough Council's responses to comments received during consultation;

2)         the Worcestershire Landscape Character Assessment Supplementary Guidance document, attached as Appendix 2, be endorsed and that it now be used as a material consideration in Development Management decision making;

3)         Appendices 4 to 8 be noted as forming part of the Core Strategy Evidence Base; and

4)         the Officers’ response to the draft national planning policy framework, as attached at Appendix 9, be retrospectively endorsed as the Borough Council’s response.