Decisions

Consideration was given to the recommendations of the Housing and Planning Scrutiny Select Committee of 15 July 2025 in respect of the approach the Council should take in relation to obtaining heritage information and evidence to support the emerging Local Plan including progressing work on Conservation Area statements and Appraisals.  Consideration was also given to advice from the Heritage Strategy that was produced in 2024 to support the emerging Local Plan. 

It was acknowledged that information and evidence on heritage matters, including Conservation Area Statements / Appraisals, would provide information to help inform future change, development and design with regard to the sensitivities of the borough’s historic environment and its unique character, ensuring that development could make a positive contribution to local character and distinctiveness as set out in paragraph 203 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

Careful consideration was given to a Conservation Area Appraisal / Statement Priority List, attached at Annex 1, which set out each Conservation Area within the borough, the size of the Conservation Area and whether a Conservation Area Appraisal already existed and the date of the Appraisal, where one had been undertaken previously.

Cabinet had due regard to the views of the Scrutiny Select Committee, the finance and value for money consideration, the risk assessment and the legal implications outlined in the report.

Cllr Taylor proposed, seconded by Cllr Boughton and Cabinet

RESOLVED:  That

(1)        the approach set out within this paper to progressing heritage information and evidence to support the Local Plan, be agreed;

(2)        the approach to progressing Conservation Area Statements for those areas considered to be a priority to support the Local Plan, as set out in Table 3 under paragraph 7.5.3 of the report, be agreed;

(3)        it be noted that, as part of the evidence gathering approach for the Local Plan, work would be progressed in relation to identifying any heritage issues as relevant to potential site allocations within the Local Plan process to ensure that sufficient information was provided at each key stage of the Local Plan process;

(4)        the priority in progressing the additional work between the various Conservation Areas as set out in Annex 1, be agreed;

(5)        short Conservation Area Statements be produced for all Conservation Areas that did not currently have a Conservation Area Appraisal as a starting point to ensure that information was available for all Conservation Areas in the borough; it be noted that this would be at extra cost and would take both financial and staffing resource away from progressing full Conservation Area Appraisals for those that did not currently have one or where Appraisals required a review and update; and

(6)        it be noted that the Heritage Strategy, attached at Annex 2, had been made publicly available following the Housing and Planning Scrutiny Select Committee meeting on 15 July 2025.

(Report of Director of Finance and Transformation)

The report provided an update on progress to date with regard to the Council’s Digital and IT Strategy for the period 2023-2027.

Over the past two years, the Council had made significant progress in delivering its Digital and IT Strategy 2023-27.  The focus had been on improving service delivery, strengthening cyber security, and enhancing the digital experience for residents and staff.  The roadmap for the strategy was attached at Annex 1 to the report and a detailed list of projects was attached at Annex 2.

Following consideration by the Finance, Regeneration and Property Scrutiny Select Committee, the Cabinet Member for Finance, Waste and Technical Services

RESOLVED:  That

(1)      the progress made to date on the Council’s Digital and IT Strategy since its adoption in May 2023, and the direction of travel, be noted.