Issue - meetings

Report of the Assistant Director of Place (Economic Growth and Housing)

The Cabinet considered the report of the Assistant Director of Place (Economic Growth and Housing) indicating that the Council was developing a Bootle Area Action Plan (AAP) to guide development and investment for the wider Bootle area. Once adopted it would form part of the Development Plan for Sefton alongside the Local Plan. It would cover a range of issues that have a land use component but will also look to address wider factors that influence the quality of those places in which people live, work, shop, socialise, undertake leisure activities, visit and invest.

The report indicated that an Area Action Plan must be prepared in accordance with national Planning Regulations. The first stage of preparation was identifying the issues that the Council considered the Area Action Plan would need to address and potential options for addressing those issues. Engagement on this stage, which took the form of an Issues and Options paper, was undertaken during November 2021 to January 2022.

Following this first stage, a draft Bootle Area Action Plan had been written. This was referred to as the Preferred Option stage. This report sought to secure approval for the draft Bootle AAP (Preferred Options) paper so that the Council could engage with residents, community groups, businesses, landowners and other stakeholders.

The following appendices were attached to the report:

·       Draft Bootle Area Action Plan (Preferred Options)

·       Draft Equalities Impact Assessment

Decision Made:

That

(1)        the draft Bootle Area Action Plan (Preferred Options) paper for publication and public engagement be approved;

(2)      delegated authority be granted to the Cabinet Member for Planning and Building Control, in consultation with the Assistant Director Place (Economic Growth and Housing) or the Chief Planning Officer, to make non-strategic changes to the draft Bootle Area Action Plan (Preferred Options) paper prior to publication; and

(3)      delegated authority be granted to the Chief Planning Officer, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Building Control, to make minor editorial and presentational changes to the draft Bootle Area Action Plan (Preferred Options) paper prior to publication.

Reasons for the Decision:

To allow for the Bootle Area Action Plan to progress to the next formal stage of public engagement leading towards its progression, which includes a draft plan, submission plan, examination and adoption as part of the statutory development plan for the area.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

Doing an Area Action Plan for a specific area is not statutory. However, choosing not to do one would miss an opportunity to set out a statutory framework for investment and regeneration in the Bootle area and to coordinate a land use response to the various programmes underway in the Bootle area.