Issue - meetings

To approve the designation of Deerhurst neighbourhood plan area and an amendment to the Scheme of Delegation in respect of neighbourhood plans.

1.      That a neighbourhood area covering the Parish of Deerhurst be APPROVED for designation.  

2.      That the Scheme of Delegation be amended to delegate authority to the Head of Development Services to approve the designation of neighbourhood areas where a relevant body proposes a neighbourhood area that follows their Parish Council boundary meeting the requirements of Regulation 5A of Statutory Instrument 2012/637 (The Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulation 2012).

75.1           The report of the Planning Policy Officer, circulated at Pages No. 49-60, set out an application from Deerhurst Parish Council for the designation of a new neighbourhood area and also sought approval to amend the Council’s Scheme of Delegation so that future neighbourhood area designations could be delegated to the Head of Development Services for approval subject to them following their Parish Council boundary. 

75.2           The Head of Development Services advised that the application from Deerhurst Parish Council had been assessed and found to be valid and, accordingly, the Council had an obligation to designate it as a neighbourhood area so that it could commence its neighbourhood plan. This obligation had been introduced with the amended regulations of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) and Development Management Procedure (Amendment) Regulation 2016. This now meant the Council had to determine neighbourhood area applications within 13 weeks and, where they related to an entire Parish or area, had a default duty to designate. It was for these reasons that a delegation was sought to speed up the Council’s process.

75.3           Having considered the information provided, it was