Issue - meetings

Report of the Portfolio Holder – Corporate Governance

Councillor Duncan McGregor (Portfolio Holder for Corporate Governance) presented a report recommending adoption of the Local Plan for Bolsover District (as attached to the report) as the development plan for Bolsover District.

The recommendations in the report were moved by Councillor Duncan McGregor and seconded by Councillor Liz Smyth.

Councillor Duncan McGregor explained that the proposed Local Plan had gone through the following stages of consultation:

a) Initial Consultation on what the Plan should contain (Oct-Nov 2014)

b) Consultation on Preferred Options and Reasonable Alternatives (Oct-Dec 2015)

c) Consultation on the Draft Local Plan for Bolsover District (Oct-Nov 2016)

He stated that preparation work culminated in April 2018 when the Council approved its proposed Local Plan for Bolsover District in advance of carrying out further public consultation, before submitting the Local Plan to the Secretary of State for

Examination. These final two steps were then carried out:

d) Consultation on Publication Local Plan for Bolsover District (May-June 2018)

e) Submission of the Local Plan for Bolsover District to Secretary of State (Aug

2018)

He added that following submission of the Local Plan for Bolsover District in August 2018, Inspector Karen Baker DIPTP MA DIPMP MRTPI was appointed to undertake an independent examination of the Plan. The Local Plan Examination commenced and the Inspector held Hearing Sessions between 21st January and 6th February 2019 with an additional and final session on 12th  March 2019.

Inspector Baker concluded that the Local Plan was legally sound and complied with national Planning policy. The Planning Inspectorate issued the Inspector’s Report to the Council on 15th January 2020 with some recommended changes, and these changes were approved by Planning Committee in preparation for the Local Plan being considered by Council.

Councillor Duncan McGregor believed this was an important moment for the Council, because the Local Plan would provide certainty in Planning decisions, allocate sites, protect areas from development, and deliver the Council’s Planning objectives for the benefit of residents, businesses and visitors. He added that the preparation and public consultation in developing the Plan had been a rigorous exercise, which included a number of public sessions in various places in Bolsover District.

Councillor Duncan McGregor stressed that efforts had been made to keep the costs of the process as low as possible, and some approximate estimates of the costs were:

a) Evidence-based Legal advice – £238,500

b) Housing – £20,000

c) Employment – £33,000

d) Retail – £9,500

e) Green belt – £20,000

f) Transport – £33,000

g) Viability – £22,000

h) Council advice – £7,000

i) Habitats Regulations Assessment – £94,000

j) Inspectorate and programme officer – £17,000

k) Staffing – £1m

He also stated the approximate number of jobs that would be created as a result of the Plan:

a) Employment plots – 2,500

b) One-off issues – 1,075

c) General industrial uses – 930

d) Storage and distribution uses – 494

e) Retail, health and leisure – 218

f) Education – 45

Councillor Duncan McGregor advised  ...  view the full minutes text for item 703