Issue - meetings

Council was requested to note the update in relation to the Emerging Ashfield Local Plan and consider options for its future direction.

At this point in the proceedings and in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 30.1, it was moved and seconded that Council Procedure Rule 16.4 (Content and Length of Speeches) be suspended for the duration of the item to enable Members to speak for up to 8 minutes instead of the prescribed 5 minutes.  Having been put to the vote, the proposal was duly carried.

RESOLVED that

a)    the updated position in relation to the Emerging Ashfield Local Plan, be received and noted;

b)    it be agreed that the Council withdraw the Emerging Local Plan and commence development of a new Local Plan immediately.

Reasons:

1.    The Emerging Local Plan does not fit with the new political administration’s economic growth ambitions and vision for the District.

2.    The new political administration’s ambition is to revisit the strategic underpinning of the Local Plan. The vision of the new political administration is for a sustainable and ambitious plan which is fresh, creative and robust bringing the greatest socio-economic benefit to the District of Ashfield.

3.    The ambition includes taking into account changes in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) which are not currently embedded within the Emerging Local Plan.

4.    The Emerging Local Plan Vision has a restrictive focusof concentrating development in and adjoining the urban and settlement areas, i.e. urban concentration. However, this is not ambitious enough to reflect the wider economic aspirations of both Government and the new Council Leadership. 

5.    The new Local Plan Vision will revisit the parameters of the withdrawn Local Plan, and reconsider issues such as the most suitable and sustainable locations for employment growth and housing allocations with the underpinning strategy of the Local Plan, to review future infrastructure requirements and to make the most of locational advantages such as Junctions 27 and 28 of the M1 motorway.

(During consideration of this item, Councillors Lachlan Morrison and Cathy Mason left the room at 8.02 p.m. and 8.05 p.m. and returned to the meeting at 8.05 p.m. and 8.07 p.m. respectively.)