Agenda item

To consider the Neighbourhood Plan for Allithwaite and Cartmel which, if approved will be able to progress to Examination stage and, if successful, Referendum and Adoption.

Summary

The Housing Portfolio Holder introduced a report on the Submission of Allithwaite and Cartmel Neighbourhood Plan and the progression to Examination, Referendum and Adoption. The report set out the aim for the Neighbourhood Plan, to enable the community to play a greater role in the development of their area.

The Housing Portfolio Holder thanked Officers for their extensive work and professional collaboration on this matter since 2014. She highlighted that work on the Neighbourhood Plan had been a very collaborative process with the Steering Group and Parish Council. The Housing Portfolio Holder praised the report for demonstrating detailed knowledge and understanding of the areas represented. The Housing Portfolio Holder highlighted the key objectives targeted, affordable homes for local people, connectivity, footpaths and cycle ways. The result was a Neighbourhood Plan that meets the needs of local residents and enables the visitor economy and businesses to thrive.

Key areas of innovation within the submission were discussed such as protecting views, green spaces, active travel, darker skies, green infrastructure and improving biodiversity consistent with Council’s climate emergency and biodiversity declarations.  The Housing Portfolio Holder drew attention to the objective to ensure the proportion of permanent dwellings to holiday homes remains at a level that supports a sustainable local community. Meeting the housing needs of the local community was a priority in bringing greater balance and mixture to the local housing market and creating new opportunity for people to live and work locally. The Housing Portfolio Holder thanked all the stakeholder groups and the community for participating in consultation. Praise was given to a relatively small community determined to have a greater say in what happens in their locality.

The Housing Portfolio Holder recommended that Cabinet approve the recommendations as listed.

Councillor Bingham commended the thorough report. He was pleased that the sustainable health, housing and needs of local communities was a priority.

The Finance and Assets Portfolio Holder highlighted the section within the report that referenced permanent residence rather than local occupancy. Encouraging people to return to the area was acknowledged as an important issue and one that had been raised by the Town Council also. The Chairman thought it a good idea to promote this in other areas.

Decision

RESOLVED – That

(1)        the publicising of the submitted Allithwaite and Cartmel Neighbourhood Plan be approved to invite representations be approved; and

(2)        the Director of Strategy, Innovation and Resources be authorised to:-

(a)  approve the Neighbourhood Plan to proceed to Examination (subject to no substantive issues arising from the consultation);

(b)   approve the Neighbourhood Plan to proceed to Referendum (subject to successful Examination); and

(c)   ‘make’ (adopt) the Neighbourhood Plan to proceed to Referendum (subject to  the referendum resulting in a ‘Yes’ vote).

Alternative Options

Once a Neighbourhood Plan is submitted, the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 require a Local Planning Authority to publicise the Plan for representations to be made unless the submitted Plan constitutes a repeat proposal as defined in the 1990 Act. The proposal for Allithwaite and Cartmel Neighbourhood Plan does not represent a repeat proposal.

After the requirement to publicise the Plan for representations has been undertaken and any non-substantive changes made to the Plan, the next steps in the process, guided by legislation, are to undertake Examination and then a Referendum if the Examination is successful, followed by ‘making’ the Plan (adoption) if the Referendum results in a ‘Yes’ vote from the community.

One alternative would be to reject the proposal to authorise the Director of Strategy, Innovation, and Resources to approve progress to next steps subject to each stage completing successfully and instead require separate reports to be brought before Cabinet for approval at each stage. This would cause significant delays in progressing the Allithwaite and Cartmel Neighbourhood Plan to completion in a timely fashion.

A further alternative would be to reject the proposal to take these steps altogether and cease to progress the Plan through these final stages. However, the District Council would be expected to demonstrate exceptional justification if they were to choose this course of action. The Council designated Allithwaite and Cartmel Parish as a Neighbourhood Area and has worked with and supported the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group through the process of preparing the Plan. There is also continued strong Government encouragement for Neighbourhood Planning.

Reasons for Decision

The decision links to the following Council Plan Priorities:-

·         Delivering a balanced community – The submitted Neighbourhood Plan includes planning policies to support connectivity to facilities and services, provision of digital infrastructure connectivity and supports affordable housing and other forms of housing in the Parish.

·         Addressing the climate emergency – The submitted Neighbourhood Plan includes planning policies that support new development that is sustainable, energy efficient with emphasis on renewable energy, addresses flood risk, supports the incorporation and enhancement of green infrastructure and biodiversity, requires high quality design, minimises light pollution, protects local valued green spaces and supports waling and cycling connections and enhancement of existing networks.