Fresh Dates Announced For Local Plan Timetable

Teignbridge District Council have issued a press release on the key dates for the submission of the Local Plan to the planning Inspectorate for examination. Text below:

Teignbridge District Council has confirmed a new timetable of important dates leading to the submission of its local plan to the Planning Inspectorate for public examination.

Plan Teignbridge 2012-2033 sets out the council's planning vision for the district, delivering growth, jobs, homes, facilities and environmental protection.  The new timetable will allow the time necessary for the 7,000 responses to the recent consultation to be read, recorded and considered for inclusion in the final submission version of the plan, which will go forward to the Planning Inspectorate for public examination.

It follows the most extensive and comprehensive consultation exercise ever run by Teignbridge.  Running from January to March this year, it involved meetings with local people, Parish and Town Councils, statutory consultees, developers and land owners.  It even used the Devon County Council Mobile Library Service to reach more rural areas, alongside widespread publicity and online presence. 

The new timetable also allows time to consider fresh evidence about local planning matters.  This includes the Council-commissioned Housing Numbers Review by independent consultants ORS - due imminently, and the Dawlish Neighbourhood Plan Informal Examination report, due in mid-May. 

The new timetable for Plan Teignbridge is:

• 22 May - Overview and Scrutiny Committee to consider the Housing Numbers Review Working Group's written conclusions

• End June - Finalise Plan Teignbridge final draft

• 18 July - Overview and Scrutiny to consider the final draft

• 24 July - Executive to consider the final draft

• 31 July - Special Full Council Meeting to consider the final draft

• August/September - Public consultation

• October - Submit final draft to Planning Inspectorate

• February 2013 - Possible Examination date.

Cllr Philip Vogel, Teignbridge Executive Spokesperson for Housing and Planning said:

"Teignbridge District Council is putting people power and planning quality first by revising the timetable for the final draft of Plan Teignbridge. We said we would listen, and reducing housing numbers from the previous 2004 Core Strategy, and again from our original starting point, has clearly been heard to be a priority. The aim is to produce a plan that delivers a brighter future for Teignbridge residents and one which local people support. The plan contains something for everyone and seeks to address the issues raised by local residents and businesses.

"The response to the consultation has been overwhelming, and to date is over 25 times greater than the responses received for the final version of the 2004 plan, and these responses need to be read and recorded.

"These dates should allow Councillors, Officers, residents, statutory consultees, developers and landowners to give full consideration to the submission version of the Plan."

World's smallest mammoth is identified

Today's news by the Natural History Museum about finding the World's smallest mammoth in Crete is, if like me its your field, really interesting. The link to the NHM web site and discovery is:

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/news/2012/may/worlds-smallest-mammoth-is-identified110024.html

Kingskerswell bypass gets full Government approval

Herald Express carries the full story at: http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/BREAKING-NEWS-Kingskerswell-bypass-gets/story-16022709-detail/story.html

Forward Plan Local Plan - Local Plan Teignbridge 2012 - 2033 - Executive 8th May 2012

Made following statement today at Executive regarding the future timetable for the progressing of the Local Plan Teignbridge 2012 -2033.

Deputy Leader

With regards to the Local Plan Teignbridge 2012 - 2033, I would like to up date Executive before we leave the Forward Plan.

The Council has never had such an extensive or comprehensive consulting exercise as the draft core strategy Plan Teignbridge 2012-2033.

This has involved more meetings with Parish and Town Councils, public meetings, and the mobile library across the District, and taken residents views through written and all forms of digital media.

The Forward Planning Team, as was detailed at Full Council, has received 7k replies,and the Team is well on the way to completing the recording of all responses.

As you can imagine this is a time consuming exercises that requires accuracy as many of the responses have multiple headings; and these responses will need to be available to the Inspector once the Local Plan goes forward to DCLG for Inspection.

ORS is due in mid-May, and I think it would also be prudent to await the Dawlish Neighbourhood Informal Examination Report from Professor Balch, as this could have a bearing on the draft LP.

O&S has tasked the Housing Numbers Working Group to deliver their report in writing to the Committee on the 22nd May.

I therefore propose that the timetable for submitting the Final Draft Local Plan Teignbridge 2012 -2033 to DCLG and Inspection is as follows:

O&S 22nd May consider the Housing Numbers Review Working Group written conclusions.

2. Early/Mid June - Political Group briefings.

End June - Finalise Local Plan Document.

July - O&S consider Local Plan Document.

24th July - Executive consider Local Plan Document.

31st July - Special Council Meeting to consider the Local Plan Document - final draft.

Consult August/September.

October - Submit final draft Local Plan Teignbridge 2012 -2033 to Planning Inspectorate.

Feb 2013 - Possible Examination date.

This should allow time for due consideration by all Councillors and Officers of the Local Plan, as well as the final consultation with the public.

Buckfastleigh Neighbourhood report – April 2012

The April Policing Neighbourhood Team's report for the Buckfastleigh is reproduced below. The bogus charity collectors at West Buckfastleigh is a cautionary tale for all of us:

Over the past month there have been 37 incidents reported to us from Buckfastleigh which covered a range of issues from people sleeping rough in the town to problems on the A38.

 

In total 7 crimes reported to us from the town which included 6 reports of criminal damage.  4 reports related to criminal damage being caused to vehicles in the Old Totnes Road area of the town which included a tyre valve was interfered with,  a motorcycle was damaged and a vehicle lock appeared to be  glued.  These incidents occurred between the 27^th and 30^th April.  These are all being followed up by the Neighbourhood Officer, PC Ali Hooper, and anyone with any information should contact her at Ashburton Police Station.

 

Another report of criminal damage came from the Market Street area where a vehicle had some very offensive wording scratched into the paint work during the night of the 28^th to the 29^th April.  This too is being investigated locally and anyone with any information should contact PC PERRINS also at Ashburton Police Station.

 

No crimes were reported to us from the Dean Prior area, though we had 6 incidents reported to us of which 5 related to the A38.

 

From the West Buckfastleigh area we have had no crimes reported to us. There were 3 incidents reported, 1 of which related to suspicious charity collectors.  A local resident called us when their suspicions were aroused and a call to the charity indicated that the males were not in fact linked to them.  Officers were quickly into the area but the vehicle was not found.  It is important that we are called quickly if you are suspicious of any incident, and if you receive a caller to your door always ask to see Identification.  All genuine callers will carry some form of identification with them and will show it on demand.

 

From Holne we have had no crimes reported to us.  3 incidents were reported to us which included a report of a dog being out of control and a prowler.   On further investigation the prowler report turned out to be deer, but again we are happy to receive such calls as we need your help to catch those who target our rural communities to commit crime.

 

We can be contacted via the central switchboard via number 101, or if you believe it to be an emergency by using the 999 line.  We can be contacted via e-mail toTeignbridge@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk

 

Police Sergeant Ian STEVENS

PC 4939 Alison HOOPER, 

PCSO 30454  Jonathan BOX

Special Constable Andy ROBERTS

 

Bored as a Teller

Ok its going to be a long day for some of you out in Election Land, so here's a little puzzle. What connects 

With:

And Newton Abbot Museum?

National Planning policy Framework - a personal commentary

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings..and why the National Planning Policy Framework..’
(With acknowledgements and apologies to Lewis Carroll.)

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) http://www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/planningsystem/planningpolicy/planningpolicyframework/  became material to planning applications from 27th March 2012, and immediately replaces all previous Ministerial Circulars and guidance documents, excepting PPS 10.

Let us be very clear, this document is extremely powerful and far reaching into all our lives, and when coupled with the Localism Act, and especially that part concerned with Neighbourhood and Community Plans and public referendums, is, and will change, if not all, most, of our thoughts and aspirations for our communities for years to come.  If this sounds far fetched - read it.

The basic premise behind the NPPF is the the presumption in favour of ‘Sustainable Development’ (para 14),  and ‘Sustainable Development’  is defined at para 5.

Para 4 is interesting in that it states in the first sentence that..’ This Framework should be read in conjunction with the Government’s planning policy for traveller sites...’ http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/planningpolicytravellers  which came into effect on 23rd March 2012.

Para 5 is again interesting as it deals with waste policies.

Core Strategies or Local Development Plans are renamed Local Plans. At Para 2 it states at line 2..‘The National Planning Policy Framework must be taken into account in the preparation of the local or neighbourhood plans, and is a material consideration in planning decisions.’  I mention this because there seems to be a few myths circulating that the NPPF is only material once a Local Planning Authority (LPA) has a Local Plan. Not so if you read this sentence - it seems quite clear that any Local Plan, and Neighbourhood Plan must be NPPF compliant as the starting point. It therefore follows, that unless a LPA has either put their Local Plan forward for consideration by the DCLG, or has had it approved, NPPF Para 14 overrides any other consideration. The exception to this, it could be argued, are Paras 114, 115, 116 and 117 - which deal variously with the physical and biodiversity environments, National Parks, and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Para 126 - bullet point one recognises the value to communities of ‘enhancing the significance of heritage assets and putting them to viable uses consistent with their conservation.’

Further commentary on Heritage Assets has been issued by English Heritage on 27th March 2012 . http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/content/imported-docs/a-e/eh-commentary-nppf.pdf

Of further interest are:-  
Paras 150 - 177 dealing with the Local Plans,
Paras 178- 181 dealing with Planning Strategically across local boundaries,
Paras 186 - 187 decision-taking.
Para 187 in particular is worth flagging up stating in sentence 1 ..‘Local planning authorities should look for solutions rather than problems, and decision-takers at every level should seek to approve applications for sustainable development where possible..’

And finally Para 47 which deals with the delivering a wide choice of high quality homes. Attention needs to be paid to the second bullet point which I reproduce in full but it needs to be read in conjunction with its foot notes...

‘ identify and update annually a supply of specific deliverable sites sufficient to provide five years worth of housing against their housing requirements with an additional buffer of 5% (moved forward from later in the plan period) to ensure choice and competition in the market for land. Where there has been a record of persistent under delivery of housing, local planning authorities should increase the buffer to 20% (moved forward from later in the plan period) to provide a realistic prospect of achieving the planned supply and to ensure choice and competition in the market for land;’

Enough said on this I think.....