Report by Director of Economic Growth & Neighbourhoods

(Please also see the Appendices’ pack, which has been collated separately)

The Executive Director of Economic Growth & Neighbourhood Services submitted a report on the Council’s replacement of its existing development plans (the Core Strategy, Reading Central Area Action Plan and Sites and Detailed Policies Document) with a new single Local Plan to set out how Reading would develop up to 2036.  The Local Plan had been submitted to the Secretary of State on 29 March 2018, which marked the beginning of a public examination held by an independent Planning Inspector, including public hearings in September and October 2018.  The Inspector’s Report was received on 24 September 2019, and the conclusion was that the Local Plan fulfilled the duty to co-operate, and that, subject to a number of ‘Main Modifications’, it was sound and legally compliant.  The Inspector’s report was attached to the report as Appendix 1.  In view of the Inspector’s findings the Local Plan, which was attached to the report at Appendix 2 could be adopted as modified, and used for determining planning applications.  The report also had attached the list of minor modifications at Appendix 3.

The following motion was moved by Councillor Page and seconded by Councillor Barnett-Ward and CARRIED:

Resolved –

(1)           That the Report of the Inspector who conducted the Examination into the Local Plan, attached at Appendix 1 to the report, be noted and that the Inspector had found the Local Plan, as amended by the Main Modifications, to be sound, legally compliant and that it fulfilled the duty to co-operate be noted;

(2)           That the Local Plan and Proposals Map, incorporating the Main Modifications and minor modifications, be adopted as attached to the report at Appendix 2.