Issue - meetings

The report of the Director – Development and Economic Growth is attached.

It was RESOLVED that:

a)               all of the Examiner’s recommended modifications to the Tollerton Neighbourhood Plan with the exception of Modifications 5, 6 and 20 be accepted; 

b)               the Tollerton Neighbourhood Plan Decision Statement and its publication be approved;

c)               it be agreed that six weeks consultation should be undertaken on the proposed decision not to accept Modifications 5, 6 and 20; and

d)               it be agreed not to proceed to referendum on the Tollerton Neighbourhood Plan at this time, pending a further report to Cabinet once the consultation has been completed.

The Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Planning and Housing, Councillor Upton, presented the report of the Director – Development and Economic Growth, which detailed the Tollerton Neighbourhood Plan.

In introducing the report, Councillor Upton explained that this Neighbourhood Plan had followed a different process to some others, in that not all of the Examiner’s recommended Modifications were being proposed for approval and therefore further consultation was required before another report would come back to Cabinet concerning a referendum. He confirmed that the Neighbourhood Plan had been produced by Tollerton Parish Council in conjunction with the local community and had been assessed by an independent examiner whose report was published in January 2024. He said that there had been much discussion around the Examiner’s recommended Modifications 5, 6 and 20 which the Parish and Borough Councils had agreed not to include these relatively minor modifications.  He confirmed that to comply with statutory requirements, a further six week public consultation was to take place before the Plan could proceed to referendum, as set out at paragraph 4.6 of the report.

In conclusion, Councillor Upton advised that the Tollerton Neighbourhood Plan draft decision statement had been prepared and was detailed at Appendix 3 which provided comment on each of the Examiner’s recommendations and also whether other Modifications were considered necessary.

In seconding the recommendation, Councillor Inglis said that he fully supported villages having the desire, aspiration and commitment from local people to produce a neighbourhood plan for their area and appreciated the hard work involved. He confirmed, however, that they did need to meet the objectives of the Parish Council, fulfil the statutory requirements of the Borough Council and comply with the legalities of the Examiner. He noted the three parts of the Neighbourhood Plan, at 5, 6 and 20 of the Examiners Modifications referred to by Councillor Upton and considered these to be valid reasons that needed to be addressed in order to protect the Council’s legal obligations.

Councillor J Wheeler thanked the Parish Council and the local community for their work in putting together the Neighbourhood Plan and said that it was important to take the time to make sure that the Plan was right for the community and whilst these Modifications may seem minor, it was important that the time was taken to make sure that the community was aware of what was going into their Neighbourhood Plan and that it was right for them.

It was RESOLVED that:

a)             all of the Examiner’s recommended modifications to the Tollerton Neighbourhood Plan with the exception of Modifications 5, 6 and 20 be accepted; 

b)             the Tollerton Neighbourhood Plan Decision Statement and its publication be approved;

c)             it be agreed that six weeks consultation should be undertaken on the proposed decision not to accept Modifications 5, 6 and 20; and

d)             it be agreed not to proceed to referendum on the Tollerton Neighbourhood Plan at this time, pending a further report to Cabinet once the consultation has been completed.