Issue - meetings

Liverpool City Region 'Statement of Common Ground'

 

 

Meeting: 25/07/2019 - Cabinet (Item 18)

18 Liverpool City Region 'Statement of Common Ground' pdf icon PDF 153 KB

Report of the Head of Economic Growth and Housing

Minutes:

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Economic Growth and Housing that sought approval of the Liverpool City Region ‘Statement of Common Ground’ in relation to development plans and the planning process.  The report set out the time line for reporting across the Liverpool City Region and stated that it was scheduled to be considered by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and all the constituent local authorities between July and September 2019.  The ‘Statement of Common Ground’ demonstrated effective and on-going joint working, cooperation and progress on cross-boundary strategic planning matters between the neighbouring strategic policy-making authorities, and that they met the statutory ‘duty to co-operate’.

 

Decision Made: That:

 

(1)

the Liverpool City Region ‘Statement of Common Ground’ be approved subject to the Chief Planning Officer being granted delegated authority to agree minor wording changes to the Statement of Common Ground if proposed by other Liverpool City Region Districts or the Combined Authority;

 

(2)

the Leader of the Council be authorised to sign the final approved ‘Statement of Common Ground’ on behalf of Sefton Council once the document has been approved by the Combined Authority; and

 

(3)

the Cabinet Member - Planning and Building Control be authorised to approve and sign any future versions of the “Statement of Common Ground” in future years. 

 

Reason for the Decision:

 

Under the Localism Act 2011 Sefton Council has a legal ‘duty to co-operate’ to engage constructively and actively, and to address strategic cross-boundary matters when preparing Local Plans.  Paragraph 27 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2019) states that this should be demonstrated through joint preparation of statements of common ground.  National planning guidance sets out more detailed information. While the Sefton Local Plan is relatively recently adopted (2017), on-going co-operation is required as this will feed into any future Local Plan review.

 

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

 

Not to participate in the preparation of a Statement of Common Ground or to approve one would make it difficult for Sefton Council to demonstrate, in any future Local Plan review, that it had met the statutory duty to co-operate.