Agenda item

Report of the Head of Regeneration and Housing

Further to Minute No. 114 of the Cabinet meeting held on 6 April 2017, the Council considered the report of the Head of Regeneration and Housing which provided details of the Inspector’s Report on the Examination of the Sefton Local Plan which had been received by the Council and published on the website, in accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.

The Inspector’s report indicated that, as submitted, the Local Plan had a number of deficiencies in relation to soundness and/or legal compliance for the reasons set out in the report. However, with the Main Modifications recommended by the Inspector to the Plan, the Sefton Local Plan now satisfied the requirements of Section 20(5) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended) and met the criteria for soundness set out in the National Planning Policy Framework.

Having received the report, which indicates that the Local Plan has been found to be ‘sound’ the Council was now able to adopt the Local Plan and this would become the Development Plan for Sefton, which would enable the policies in it to be given full weight when determining planning applications and it would replace the Unitary Development Plan.

It was moved by Councillor Maher, seconded by Councillor Fairclough:

That

(1)       approval be given to the adoption of the Sefton Local Plan, including the Main Modifications set out in the Appendix to the Inspector’s report (as attached to the report) and any consequential changes to the Local Plan and the Policies Map and any minor changes as set out in this report or as agreed by the Chief Planning Officer in conjunction with the Cabinet Member – Planning and Building Control, as part of the statutory Development Plan for Sefton; and

(2)       it be noted that the decision to adopt the Sefton Local Plan would be subject to a statutory legal challenge period of 6 weeks from the date of adoption.

An amendment was moved by Councillor McKinley, seconded by Councillor Sayers that the Motion be amended by the addition of the following text:

(3)     the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Regeneration and Skills) be requested to robustly and regularly monitor the implementation of the 18 recommendations proposed by the Infrastructure Working Group and adopted by the Cabinet on 15 January 2015.

In accordance with Paragraph 71 in Chapter 4 of the Council Constitution, Councillor Maher indicated that he accepted the amendment as a ‘friendly’ amendment to his Motion

Following debate and in accordance with Paragraph 94 in the Council Constitution, the voting on the Substantive Motion was recorded and the Members of the Council present at the time, voted as follows:

FOR THE SUBSTANTIVE MOTION:

Councillors Atkinson, Bradshaw, Brennan, Burns, Byrom, Carr, Linda Cluskey, Cummins, Dams, Fairclough, Friel, Grace, Hardy, John Kelly, John Joseph Kelly, Lappin, Dan T. Lewis, Maher, McGinnity, McKinley, Moncur, Murphy, Brenda O’Brien, Michael O’Brien, Owens, Page, Robinson, Roche, Roscoe, Sayers, Spencer, Thomas, Anne Thompson, Tweed, Veidman and Webster.

AGAINST THE SUBSTANTIVE MOTION:

Councillors Ashton, David Barton, Jo Barton, Bennett, Bliss, Booth, Dawson, Dodd, Dutton, Gannon, Hands, Jamieson, Jones, Keith, Daniel Lewis, McCann, McGuire, O’Hanlon, Pitt, Pullin, Shaw, Lynne Thompson, Weavers, Bill Welsh, Marianne Welsh and The Mayor.

The Mayor declared that the Substantive Motion was carried by 36 votes to 26 and it was

RESOLVED: That

(1)       approval be given to the adoption of the Sefton Local Plan, including the Main Modifications set out in the Appendix to the Inspector’s report (as attached to the report) and any consequential changes to the Local Plan and the Policies Map and any minor changes as set out in this report or as agreed by the Chief Planning Officer in conjunction with the Cabinet Member – Planning and Building Control, as part of the statutory Development Plan for Sefton;

(2)       it be noted that the decision to adopt the Sefton Local Plan would be subject to a statutory legal challenge period of 6 weeks from the date of adoption; and

(3)     the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Regeneration and Skills) be requested to robustly and regularly monitor the implementation of the 18 recommendations proposed by the Local Plan Infrastructure Working Group and adopted by the Cabinet on 15 January 2017.