Issue - meetings

Cabinet considered the revisions to the Local Development Scheme (Work Programme). Every local planning authority had to “prepare and maintain” a work programme for its Local Plan-related work, known as the Local Development Scheme (LDS). This was a requirement under the Planning & Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. In December 2021, Cabinet agreed a new Local Development Scheme (LDS). The LDS needed to be updated, to reflect changes in circumstances affecting Local Plan progression, and these were set out in the report.

The Local Plan Inspectors’ report identified the future of Manston Airport as a matter for the Local Plan update, to take into account the decision on the Development Consent Order. However, a final decision on the DCO was still awaited. In addition, the Inspectors identified the need for a review of the local housing need figures under the Government’s “standard method”. However, the Government was currently reviewing the “standard method”, and as yet, no announcement had been made regarding any detailed changes to be made to the methodology. The Council was assessing the impact of the changes to planning set out in the draft Levelling Up & Regeneration Bill, which could also affect the nature of the Local Plan, and the timetable.

The Council was also currently pursuing a number of lines of enquiry to ensure that it could meet the identified need for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation in the Local Plan Update and to bring forward a site to meet the immediate accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers.

For these reasons, it was considered that the timetable set out in the current LDS was not realistic, and a new timetable to reflect the issues had to be considered.

The following members spoke under Council Procedure Rule 20.1:

Councillor Garner;

Councillor Albon;

Councillor Whitehead.

Councillor Ashbee proposed, Councillor Bob Bayford seconded and Cabinet agreed the proposals for the revised Local Development Scheme.