Issue - meetings

Report of Head of Strategic Planning and the Economy

Purpose of report

To approve the draft Banbury Masterplan for public consultation and engagement over a six week period.

The draft Banbury Masterplan provides a vision for the future of Banbury and a set of themes for coordinating a series of actions as detailed in an Action Plan. A combination of steps has been identified to help promote the development of Banbury in a comprehensive, integrated way which builds on the adopted Cherwell Local Plan (2011 - 2031).

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

 1.1        To approve the draft Banbury Masterplan for six weeks consultation and engagement with the public and stakeholders.

1.2       To authorise the Head of Strategic Planning and the Economy the correction of any minor spelling, grammatical or typographical errors together with any improvements from a presentational perspective prior to the publication of draft Banbury Masterplan for consultation.

1.3       To request officers to report back to the Executive the results of the consultation.

Resolved

(1)          That the draft Banbury Masterplan be approved for six weeks consultation and engagement with the public and stakeholders.

(2)          That the Head of Strategic Planning and the Economy be authorised to correct any minor spelling, grammatical or typographical errors and make any improvements from a presentational perspective prior to the publication of draft Banbury Masterplan for consultation.

(3)          That officers be requested to report back to the Executive the results of the consultation.

The Head of Strategic Planning and the Economy submitted a report which sought approval of the draft Banbury Masterplan for public consultation and engagement over a six week period.

In introducing the report, the Lead Member for Planning explained that the draft Banbury Masterplan provided a vision for the future of Banbury and a set of themes for coordinating a series of actions as detailed in an Action Plan. A combination of steps had been identified to help promote the development of Banbury in a comprehensive, integrated way which built on the adopted Cherwell Local Plan (2011 - 2031).

Resolved

(1)          That the draft Banbury Masterplan be approved for six weeks consultation and engagement with the public and stakeholders.

(2)          That the Head of Strategic Planning and the Economy be authorised to correct any minor spelling, grammatical or typographical errors and make any improvements from a presentational perspective prior to the publication of draft Banbury Masterplan for consultation.

(3)          That officers be requested to report back to the Executive the results of the consultation.

Reasons

The draft Banbury Masterplan aims to provide a vision for the future of Banbury and a set of themes with associated actions that are detailed in an Action Plan. This combination of steps will help promote the development of Banbury in a way which accords with the adopted Cherwell Local Plan. It also shows how a series of social, economic and environmental measures can support Banbury grow in a comprehensive, integrated way.

Agreement is sought to commence consultation and engagement for a six week period with the public and other stakeholders in accordance with the measures set out in the Statement of Community Involvement which provides the steps Cherwell must follow in its consideration of planning documents.

The intention is to conclude this process with a Masterplan for Banbury that can be adopted by Cherwell District Council as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) during 2016.

Alternative options

Option 1: To drop the Town Masterplan

This has been rejected as the Masterplan provides more detail on the overall growth of the town and the different policy areas which contribute to that growth than the framework set by the Local Plan provides; whilst highlighting the relationship between the different development sites, provides a greater level of certainty for developers and the community as to how the town will develop.

Option 2: To reduce the number of themes set out within the Masterplan

This has been rejected as it would make the Masterplan less comprehensive and miss the opportunity that the plan illustrates to secure gains from the town from the combination of new housing, employment, transport, regeneration measures as well as the relationship to ‘Brighter Futures’ and environmental improvements.