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Contact: Joanne Mills Tel: 01772 534284, Email: joanne.mills@lancashire.gov.uk
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Apologies for Absence Minutes: Apologies for absence were received from County Councillors Miles Parkinson and Tim Ashton. |
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Disclosure of Personal and Prejudicial Interests Minutes: None. |
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Minutes of the Meeting held on 7 December 2011 The Committee are asked to agree the minutes of the previous meeting held on 7 December 2011.
Minutes: The minutes of the previous meeting held on 7 December 2011 were agreed as an accurate record. |
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Minutes: Niamh O'Sullivan, Lancashire County Council, presented the report. Niamh explained that a consultation had taken place relating to the Proposed Major Changes of the Site Allocations and Development Management Policies for the Minerals and Waste Development Framework. The consultation took place between 19January 2012 and 1 March 2012.
Niamh explained the process that had been followed and that a briefing note was sent to Chief Executives, Chief Officers, and directly affected Parish Councils to inform them about the consultation and availability of documents.
Officers sent out over 2107 letters to residents and businesses that had previously shown an interest in the Minerals and Waste Local Development Framework. These letters drew peoples' attention to the consultation, and where documents could be found, the link to the dedicated website, and gave a phone number to call.
Press releases were sent to targeted media contacts. Public notices were put in eight main papers covering the Plan area.
The Schedule of Proposed Major Changes document was put on the dedicated consultation website together with all the supporting documents. During the consultation period this received over 573 hits from 269 visitors.
Paper copies of the documents were also placed on deposit at all the libraries in the County and in Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen libraries, as well as the deposit points of the County Information Centres, Town Halls, District Planning Departments, and County Hall. Additional hard copies of documents were sent out on request.
All those who had been consulted on the Proposed Major Changes were also made aware of the relevant minor changes which had been discussed at the hearings in September and October of last year.
Officers contacted the Land Registry for information regarding land ownership to ensure that the issues of deliverability were explored. However, there were over 400 titles registered to the sites making it unlikely that each of the individual sites were in one controlling the ownership. To have confirmed this by getting detailed records from the Land Registry would have been prohibitively expensive and not proportionate to the consultation. Niamh highlighted the officers view that where the owners of the sites have not made representations relating to the consultation, that it is likely that there are a number of controlling interests of the site, and therefore it would be unlikely that an unwilling owner would prevent the deliverability of the level of waste facilities required in the East Lancashire and Lancaster catchment areas.
Success of the Consultation
The Joint Planning Authorities have taken the approach throughout the development of the Minerals and Waste Development Framework to be as transparent as possible.
The approach of directly contacting the public has been successful in raising awareness. Officers within the Minerals and Waste Policy team were on call to answer enquiries, and help people fill in the Representation form.
In response to a request from Middleton Parish Council for a public meeting, officers held a drop-in session at Middleton Village Hall to provide information on the proposals, explain what will ... view the full minutes text for item 4. |
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Additional documents:
Minutes: Before commencing her presentation Louise Nurser, Lancashire County Council, gave an update on the National Planning Policy Framework and stated that the inspector has asked that the planning authorities write to all involved and give a further 6 weeks for comments, by all those who have made a representation in response to the DPD, on whether and how the NPPF affects their concerns over the DPD as submitted and as now proposed to be changed. The officers view expressed was that this should not pose a risk to getting the plan approved as the NPPF was in draft when the plan was submitted and has not changed in any way that should affect the plan's soundness.
Resolved:
Louise then presented the report regarding the proposed major changes to site allocation and development management policies consultation outcomes.
Louise explained that following the Joint Authorities' request to suspend the Examination in Public, and the Joint Committee for Strategic Planning's approval, the Proposed Major Changes were published for the statutory 6 week consultation. This was to allow representations to be made by people affected by, or concerned with, the implementation of the development plan.
This report summarises the issues raised in representations to the consultation, and sets out some changes that have been made to the Proposed Major Changes in response to these representations. Louise explained that the Consultation Outcomes Report attached as Appendix 'A' and the Proposed Major Changes following the consultation attached at Appendix 'B' were submitted for the Committees approval, and, that subject to the Committees approve these documents would then require approval at the Full Councils of the three constituent Waste and Mineral Planning Authorities before submission to the Planning Inspector on behalf of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
Louise highlighted the principal issues raised following the 6 week consultation period as follows:
Matter 7 Non-Hazardous Landfill (LF1)
Three representations were been received, from two consultees. Support was received for the changes in support of extensions to time frames for filling permitted voids at existing landfill sites (MajPC/39).
Matter 11 Heysham Port (WM2 WM4)
12 representations were been received, from seven consultees.
Lancaster West Business Park
Representations were been received relating to Lancaster West Business Park (MajPC/24). These referred to the increase in size and range of appropriate technologies allowed, and possible increase in traffic levels on Middleton Road; impacts on residents and wildlife; proliferation of waste facilities in the area, and that local residents did not want site identified. Comment was also received stating these changes are premature given the hearing session outcomes have not been published yet. Support was received for the removal of Heysham Port from the policy. There was a request for more clarity in the policy to give a clearer indication of what and how much would be expected to be built.
Safeguarding of Aggregate Wharf Heysham ... view the full minutes text for item 5. |
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Urgent Business An item of urgent business may only be considered under this heading where, by reason of special circumstances to be recorded in the Minutes, the Chairman of the meeting is of the opinion that the item should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency. Wherever possible, the clerk should be given advance warning of any Member’s intention to raise a matter under this heading. Minutes: None. |
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Date of Next Meeting To be confirmed. Minutes: To be confirmed. |