Individual Cabinet Member Decisions

As a result of the Secretary of State’s intervention in the Local Plan process, the Council was directed to complete a review of the Local Plan within six months of adoption. It is anticipated that the Local Plan will be adopted in Spring 2020.

The review process is Council-led, but also involving key external stakeholders as appropriate, of reviewing policies and key issues to assess whether the Local Plan needs to be updated, and to determine the scope of any update, in accordance with government guidance.

Some issues have already been identified through the current Local Plan process as requiring review. Other issues may emerge during the review process.

The purpose of the new CAG would be to:

• To consider the need for an update of the Thanet Local Plan;
• To consider the possible scope of an update to the Plan; and
• To advise Cabinet of the views expressed by the Group.

The Terms of Reference are:

1. To review the adopted Local Plan and establish whether an update is necessary;

2. If so, to consider the scope of, and work programme for, any update of the Local Plan;

3. In their considerations, the Group should have regard to compliance with the relevant legislation, government policy and guidance, to the other parts of the Development Plan for the area and to all other material considerations, including emerging evidence;

4. The Group will receive briefings from Officers in the review process about key issues and outcomes from evidence-gathering and discussions with stakeholders;

5. Following the final meeting of the Cabinet Advisory Group, the key findings/ conclusions/recommendations of the Group will be presented to Cabinet.

There would be nine Members of the Group, as follows:

3 Labour; 3 Conservative; 1 Thanet Independent; 1 Green; and 1 Independent.

It is anticipated that there would be a series of informal meetings of the Group, followed by a formal meeting to finalise recommendations to Cabinet, before a report is made to cabinet regarding the update of the Local Plan.

To establish a new Cabinet Advisory Group in relation to the Local Plan Review.