Issue - meetings

Councillor Bayford, Leader of Council having declared a significant interest on the matter, left the Council Chamber before the discussion of this item.

Councillor Ashbee, Deputy Leader of Council in the Chair.

The meeting was advised that under the Localism Act 2011, Neighbourhood Plans could be prepared by local communities and were led by Town or Parish Councils or a Neighbourhood Forum in areas which did not have a Town or Parish Council. If Thanet Council adopted a neighbourhood plan it would have the same significance as other Development Plan Documents (e.g. the Local Plan) for the district.

Broadstairs & St Peters Town Council had prepared a draft neighbourhood plan. It was published and formally submitted to the Council and had subsequently been assessed by an independent Examiner. The Examiner’s report had also been published. It supported the proposed Neighbourhood Plan, with some minor modifications, and recommended that it be subject to a referendum.

The Council now had to issue a Decision Statement as to whether or not it accepted the recommendations in the Examiners report, and, if not, what actions would be necessary. The Council also had to consider whether the draft Plan met the “basic conditions” for a Neighbourhood Plan.

Cabinet agreed that the draft Neighbourhood Plan was generally supported. Members indicated that it had been positively prepared and included policies that generally conformed to the emerging district Local Plan.  It was encouraging that the Town Council had included policies which, although too detailed or too specific for the Local Plan, did generally support the delivery of the local plan and had a good evidence base. It was a good example of Thanet District Council and Broadstairs Town Council working together.

For example, the section on, ‘Important Views and Vistas and Seafront Character Zones’ identified particular local views and characteristics that were important to specific areas. The neighbourhood plan also included a policy for ‘Areas of High Townscape Value’, which was supported.

There were however two minor areas, where the submitted Neighbourhood Plan did not meet the ‘basic conditions’ as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework in relation to Local Green Space designations and were not in general conformity with the strategic policies of the development plan for the area (as set out in the emerging Thanet Local Plan).

The two proposed Local Green Space sites (at Fairfield Road/Rumfields Road and Reading Street) were considered for inclusion in the draft Local Plan, but were not included as they did not meet the criteria in the National Planning Policy Framework. The approach in the draft Neighbourhood Plan therefore contradicted the position set out in the draft Local Plan.

Councillor David Saunders abstained from taking part in discussing and deciding on the matter.

Councillor Game proposed, Councillor Ashbee seconded and Cabinet agreed that the draft Neighbourhood Plan be modified as set out in the cabinet report, and that the proposed modifications be the subject of public consultation for a period of six weeks.