Issue - meetings

Report of Assistant Director Planning and Development

Purpose of report

To approve Cherwell District Council’s Written Representation / Individual Local Impact Report.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

Approve the written representation and individual local impact report letter for submission to the planning inspectorate. 

**No public speaking permitted on this item as it is not a planning application for determination by Cherwell District Council**

Resolved

(1)        That, unless the Monitoring Officer provides advice to the contrary and considers it appropriate, the consultation response may be referred to an extraordinary meeting of Full Council. If not, then an extraordinary Planning Committee meeting subject to consultation with the Monitoring Officer.

The committee considered a report of the Head of Development Management which sought approval of the Councils written representation and individual local impact report in response to an application for a Solar Farm (Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project) for Photovolt Development Partners and SolarFive Ltd.

The application site was split into three separate areas with part of the northern and central sections within the Launton and Otmoor and Kidlington West wards. The site also covered areas in West Oxfordshire District Council and the Vale of White Horse District Council.

The Committee was advised that the scale of this application means that it was defined as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP).  Developments of this type were determined by the relevant Secretary of State (SoS) with the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) acting as the examining authority who made a recommendation to the SoS as to whether a Development Consent Order (DCO) should be granted.  Local Authorities (LAs) were consultees in this process and were not determining authorities.

In considering the report, the Committee sought clarification on the process for agreeing the response and highlighted that, subject to the advice of the Monitoring Officer, further Member input may be necessary.

It was proposed by Councillor Wood and seconded by Councillor Conway that the report be referred to the Monitoring Officer, with consultation with the Leader of the Council and Chairman of the Planning Committee, to advice whether it would be appropriate for the decision to be determined at an extraordinary meeting of Full Council, or, if not, an extraordinary Planning Committee.

Resolved

(1)      That, unless the Monitoring Officer provides advice to the contrary and considers it appropriate, the consultation response may be referred to an extraordinary meeting of Full Council, if not, subject to consultation with the Monitoring Officer. to an extraordinary Planning Committee meeting