Issue - meetings

Recommendation HP 23/20 of the Housing and Planning Scrutiny Select Committee of 18 July 2023.

The reports and associated annexes are available on the Scrutiny Select Committee meeting page   However, the report of the Director of Planning, Housing and Environment Health of 18 July 2023 is attached for convenience.

Consideration was given to recommendation HP 23/20 of the Housing and Planning Scrutiny Select Committee of 18 July 2023.

Cabinet welcomed the detailed analysis of the Regulation 18 Consultation, as presented to the Scrutiny Select Committee, and noted that the responses would be used when preparing the next Regulation 18B document in Spring 2024.

RESOLVED:  That the output of the Regulation 18 Consultation be noted.

(Decision Notice D230073CAB)

Consideration was given to recommendation HP 23/20 of the Housing and Planning Scrutiny Select Committee of 18 July 2023.

Cabinet welcomed the detailed analysis of the Regulation 18 Consultation, as presented to the Scrutiny Select Committee, and noted that the responses would be used when preparing the next Regulation 18B document in Spring 2024.

Particular reference was made to the respondent’s preference for spatial strategy option 1 which optimised the density of development sites outside of the Green Belt and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) boundaries.  The Cabinet Member for Planning indicated that this preference would be supported wherever possible.  However, given the demands for local housing it might become necessary to develop on the Green Belt and AONB boundaries.   It was indicated that the Spatial Strategy could form part of the next consultation (Regulation 18B).

Members asked that their appreciation of Officers work in preparing the Local Plan be recorded.

RESOLVED:  That the output of the Regulation 18 Consultation be noted.

Building upon the initial results presented to the Committee of 6 December 2022, this report sets out the full consultation analysis from Regulation 18 consultation and seeks Members’ approval to note the output of the consultation.

Annex 2 – to be published as a supplement due to its size

Annex 3 – can be viewed here

The report of the Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Heath built upon the initial results presented to the Committee on 6 December 2022, and set out the full consultation analysis from the Regulation 18 consultation.  The responses would be utilised and drawn upon in preparing the next Regulation 18B document for Spring 2024.  The updated outputs of the questionnaire were included at Annex 1 of the report and the free text answers were included within Annex 2.  In addition to the questionnaire, comments were received against sections of the local plan document and the responses were included in Annex 3 together with the officer response. It was highlighted that the level of detail provided on these responses reflected the early stage in plan-preparation.

During discussion, Members welcomed the positive response to optimising the density on development sites within Tonbridge, particularly on those sites within the town centre and maximising their potential for residential and mixed-use development. 

RECOMMENDED*: That the output of the Regulation 18 consultation, be noted.

*Referred to Cabinet