Agenda item

Report of Head of Strategic Planning and the Economy

Purpose of report

The Hook Norton Neighbourhood Plan (HNNP) has now been examined by an appropriately qualified independent Examiner who has produced a report with recommendations for modifications.  Cherwell District Council as the Local Planning Authority is required to consider the recommendations and to determine whether the Plan should proceed to a referendum and the area of the referendum.

This report presents the Neighbourhood Plan, the background to the Examination and the process followed.  The report outlines the next stages in the process which includes the holding of a referendum.  On completion the Neighbourhood Plan will become part of the Development Plan and decisions on planning applications will then be made in accordance with the Plan.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

1.1       To approve the modifications to the HNNP in accordance with the Examiner’s recommendations, and to authorise the issue of a decision statement to that effect;

1.2       To approve all of the Examiner’s recommendation and modifications to enable the Plan to proceed to a referendum;

1.3       To approve the area for the referendum as recommended by the examiner to be the Hook Norton parish council area (which is the approved designated neighbourhood area) and that there will be no extension to the area.

Resolved

(1)          That the modifications to the Hook Norton Neighbourhood Plan in accordance with the Examiner’s recommendations be approved, and the issue of a decision statement to that effect be authorised.

(2)          That all of the Examiner’s recommendations and modifications to enable the Plan to proceed to a referendum be approved.

(3)          That the area for the referendum as recommended by the examiner to be the Hook Norton parish council area (which is the approved designated neighbourhood area) and that there will be no extension to the area be approved.

The Head of Strategic Planning and the Economy submitted a report which presented the Neighbourhood Plan, the background to the Examination and the process followed. The report outlined the next stages in the process which included the holding of a referendum. On completion the Neighbourhood Plan would become part of the Development Plan and decisions on planning applications would then be made in accordance with the Plan.

Resolved

(1)          That the modifications to the Hook Norton Neighbourhood Plan in accordance with the Examiner’s recommendations be approved, and the issue of a decision statement to that effect be authorised.

(2)          That all of the Examiner’s recommendations and modifications to enable the Plan to proceed to a referendum be approved.

(3)          That the area for the referendum as recommended by the examiner to be the Hook Norton parish council area (which is the approved designated neighbourhood area) and that there will be no extension to the area be approved.

Reasons

The Hook Norton Neighbourhood Plan (HNNP) as recommended for modification by the Examiner would satisfy the basic conditions, the preparation has been in accordance with the legislation and it complies with the definition of a Neighbourhood Plan.

The Examiner’s modifications involve additions and amendments which don not raise issues of major concern. The majority of the recommended modifications are intended to provide more clarity particularly in relation to compliance with the strategic policies of the submitted and examined Cherwell Local Pan. The HNNP as recommended for modification by the Examiner should therefore proceed to a referendum.

Alternative options

Option One:  Not to approve some of the Examiners recommendations and to proceed to a referendum. Where a LPA proposes to make a decision that differs from the Examiner’s recommendation then there would need to be another round of consultation including notifying all those on the consultation statement of the Parish Council. This would take more time and would have cost implications.

Option Two:   Not to accept the examiner’s report of recommendations and not to proceed to a referendum. This option can only be justified if the Examiner recommends that the Plan should not proceed to a referendum, or the Council is not satisfied that the plan has met the procedural and legal requirements.

Option Three: To extend the area in which the referendum is to take place. Under the neighbourhood planning legislation the LPA cannot make a decision that differs from the Examiner’s recommendation about the referendum area.

Option Four: To adopt the course of action proposed in this report. This is consistent with both the Hook Norton Neighbourhood Plan, the Examiners proposed modifications and the Regulations that apply to Neighbourhood Plans.