Issue - meetings

Report of Strategic Director Planning, Housing and Economy

Summary

To provide information on the Government’s intentions with regards to High Speed Rail and its impact upon the District, and to enable consideration of the need to co-operate with and financially contribute to an emergent group of Councils along the declared preferred route to contest the proposals.

Recommendations

The Executive is recommended:

(1)               To agree to join with other Authorities along the preferred route to campaign against the proposals.

(2)               To agree to the making available of up to £50,000 from Planning Control Reserve

(i)      as a contribution towards the fund being formed to campaign against the proposals and;

(ii)     To fund consultancy work required to assist in the detailed assessment of the impact upon individual properties and communities along the Cherwell section of the preferred route (notionally £20,000).

(iiI)  delegate to the Strategic Director Planning, Housing and Economy in consultation with the Portfolio Holder the final distribution of this funding

(3)       To ask the Planning Committee to steer the detailed assessment of impact and to make the Council’s representations thereon.

(4)       To require the Strategic Director Planning, Housing and Economy to bring a further detailed report to the Executive towards the end of the consultation period to enable consideration of Council’s formal response to the consultation.

Recommendations Approved

The Strategic Director Planning, Housing and Economy submitted a report which provided information on the Government’s intentions with regards to High Speed Rail and its impact upon the District, and to enable consideration of the need to co-operate with and financially contribute to an emergent group of Councils along the declared preferred route to contest the proposals.

Councillor Cotter, Leader of the Opposition, spoke in opposition to the recommendation to make up to £50,000 from Planning Control Reserves as a contribution towards the fund being formed to campaign against the proposals and to fund consultancy work required to assist in the detailed assessment of the impact upon individual properties and communities along the Cherwell section of the preferred route (notionally £20,000).

Resolved

(1)               That it be agreed to join with other Authorities along the preferred route to campaign against the proposals.

(2)               That it be agreed to make available up to £50,000 from Planning Control Reserve

(i)           as a contribution towards the fund being formed to campaign against the proposals and;

(ii)     To fund consultancy work required to assist in the detailed assessment of the impact upon individual properties and communities along the Cherwell section of the preferred route (notionally £20,000).

(iiI)  delegate to the Strategic Director Planning, Housing and Economy in consultation with the Portfolio Holder the final distribution of this funding

(3)       That Planning Committee be asked to steer the detailed assessment of impact and to make the Council’s representations thereon.

(4)       That the Strategic Director Planning, Housing and Economy be required to bring a further detailed report to the Executive towards the end of the consultation period to enable consideration of Council’s formal response to the consultation.

Reasons

The key issues considered in this report are the degree of involvement to be had with the emergent group of local authorities, and the extent of financial commitment to that grouping, and to the need to hire in consultancy support for the assessment of the strategic case and environmental impact.

Options