Issue - meetings

To consider a recommendation to Council to adopt the Second Review Community Involvement Statement for Gloucestershire in accordance with Section 23 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended).

Having considered the information, including known proposals, alternative options and reasons for recommendations, Cabinet noted the report and,

RESOLVED to

Recommend to County Council to:-

Adopt the 2nd Review Statement of Community Involvement for Gloucestershire in accordance with Section 23 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended).

Cllr Nigel Moor, Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning, sought cabinet approval to make a recommendation to Council to adopt the 2nd Review Statement of Community Involvement for Gloucestershire. Cllr Moor informed members that, in accordance with the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, (as amended), the County Council, (as local planning authority), was required to produce a Statement of Community Involvement (SCI). The Town and Country Planning (England) (Local Planning) Regulations 2012 regulated how the statement should be set out. Amended in 2018, the regulations now included a mandatory 5-year review cycle. 

A review of the SCI adopted in 2013 was undertaken in 2019. The updated 2^nd Review Statement of Community Involvement was presented to the Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) Planning Committee in Autumn 2019 and underwent a period of public scrutiny.

Cllr Moor drew attention to some of the main changes to the document. These included: -

i)             Reference to legislative reforms, with particular reference to the protection of personal data;

ii)            Clearer reference to the County Council’s potential planning role in relation to minerals and waste matters;

iii)           Greater recognition of alternative and more effective consultation methods, including use of social media;

iv)           Greater awareness of the use of resources and the need to support the decarbonisation agenda (including the stopping of using hard copy consultation materials being made available for every event at all libraries across the county – a saving of around 1 tonne of CO₂ per event); and

v)            Acknowledgement of new local guidance on consultations and notifications for larger-scale and potentially more impactful developments

The new 2^nd Review SCI includes a number of temporary measures to avoid conflict with Cabinet Office Coronavirus guidance.

Having considered the information, including known proposals, alternative options and reasons for recommendations, Cabinet noted the report and,

RESOLVED to

Make a recommendation to Council that: -

The 2nd Review Statement of Community Involvement for Gloucestershire be adopted in accordance with Section 23 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended)