A report providing the Committee with an update on the main modifications to the Local Plan.

Further to Minute 23 of the meeting held on 21 November 2018, the Director of Environment and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report presenting the Committee with the main modifications to the Local Plan.

The report explained that the Council was replacing its existing development plans (the Core Strategy, Reading Central Area Action Plan and Sites and Detailed Policies Document) with a single Local Plan to set out how Reading would develop up to 2036.  Three consultations had been carried out on this Local Plan between 2016 and 2018 and the Plan had been submitted to the Secretary of State on 29 March 2018, which had marked the beginning of a public examination that had been held by an independent Planning Inspector.  The Inspector had informed the Council that main modifications would be needed to make sure that the plan was sound and legally compliant.  These main modifications needed to be subject to consultation and a Sustainability Appraisal.  However, the Inspector had not yet provided a list of modifications, despite informing the Council that these would be received by 1 March 2019.  Therefore, although it had been anticipated that a full list of modifications could be considered by the Committee for consultation, this was not the case.

Resolved -      That the position regarding main modifications to the Local Plan be noted.