Report by Executive Director of Economic Growth & Neighbourhood Services.

The Executive Director of Economic Growth & Neighbourhood Services submitted a report on the statutory requirement to undertake a review of a local plan within five years of adoption.  The Reading Borough Local Plan had been adopted in 2019 and a partial update was being carried out in accordance with this requirement.  The Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport Committee on 23rd March 2023 (Minute 36 refers) considered the Local Development Scheme which set out the timetable for production of planning policy including the partial update of the Local Plan. The first consultation stage, Consultation on Scope and Content, was agreed by Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport on 15th November 2023 (Minute 20 refers), and consultation was carried out between 27th November 2023 and 31st January 2024.  On 27th June 2024, Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport Committee had agreed an amended Local Development Scheme, which included the timetable for producing planning policy documents, including the Local Plan Partial Update (Minute 5 refers).  This identified that the next consultation stage, known as Regulation 19 or Pre-Submission stage, would begin in November 2024.

The report therefore recommended undertaking consultation on the Pre-Submission Draft Local Plan Partial Update, which was included as Appendix 1 and the proposed Policies Map, showing the spatial extent of relevant policies in the plan, which was included as Appendix 2.  The report further recommended agreeing the responses to representations received on the Consultation on Scope and Content, which were attached at Appendix 3.  Council’s agreement was also being sought confirming that the adopted Statement of Community Involvement (SCI, adopted 2014) remained up-to-date for the purposes of local plan making and should be used as the basis for carrying out consultation. A review of the degree to which the SCI was up-to-date was set out in Appendix 4.

The following motion was moved by Councillor Leng and seconded by Councillor Gavin and CARRIED:

Resolved –

(1)     That the Pre-Submission Draft Local Plan Partial Update (Appendix 1) and accompanying Policies Map (Appendix 2) be approved for consultation;

(2)     That the responses to representations on the Local Plan Partial Update Consultation on Scope and Content (Appendix 3) be agreed;

(3)     That the Assistant Director for Planning, Transport and Public Protection be authorised to make any minor amendments necessary to the Pre-Submission Draft Local Plan Partial Update and accompanying Policies Map in consultation with the Lead Councillor for Planning and Assets, prior to consultation;

(4)     That Council agree that the Statement of Community Involvement (adopted 2014) remains an up-to-date basis for carrying out consultation on the Local Plan Partial Update as informed by the Review of the SCI in Appendix 4 to the report;

(5)     That the Pre-Submission Draft Local Plan Partial Update and accompanying Policies Map be authorised for submission to the Secretary of State should no significant issues arise during community involvement that would necessitate a substantive change to the document;

(6)     That the Assistant Director for Planning, Transport and Public Protection be authorised to make any non-substantive amendments necessary to the Pre-Submission Draft Local Plan Partial Update and accompanying Policies Map in consultation with the Lead Councillor for Planning and Assets, prior to their submission to the Secretary of State and prior to the consequent Public Examination of the Plan;

(7)      That the Pre-Submission Draft Local Plan Partial Update and accompanying Policies Map be brought back to a future meeting of Council should significant issues arise during community involvement that would necessitate a substantive change to the document.