Agenda and decisions
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Cabinet Member Introduction To welcome the public and introduce all participants. Additional documents: Decision: Councillor Juliet Layton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning, welcomed the public to the meeting and introduced the responsible officers. It was noted that the purpose of the meeting was to agreethe Cotswold District Councilresponse, as shown at AnnexA of the report, tothe Reg.14 SiddingtonNeighbourhood Plan consultation. |
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Declarations of Interest To receive any declarations of interest by the Cabinet Member or any officers present. Additional documents: Decision: There were no declarations of interest from the Cabinet Member or officers present. |
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Officer Overview of the Report The purpose of this report is for the Cabinet member for Planning and Housing to consider theCotswold District Council response (Annex A)to theReg. 14Siddington NP consultation.
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Decision: The Officer introduced the report and stated that the Council had been invited to submit comments on the draft Siddington Neighbourhood Plan 2025–2031 as part of the Regulation 14 consultation undertaken by Siddington Parish Council. A draft response had been prepared and was attached at Annex A for consideration and approval by the Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning.
Siddington Parish Council had undertaken public consultation on the draft Neighbourhood Plan between 22 March and 10 May 2026, with an extension having been granted to enable Cotswold District Council to provide comments. Officers had previously engaged with the Parish Council during preparation of the Plan, and a number of matters raised at the pre-Regulation 14 stage had already been incorporated within the draft document.
It was noted that comments had been provided on all eleven policies contained within the draft plan. The Committee further noted comments received from specialist officers. The Conservation Officer had raised matters relating to undesignated heritage assets; flood risk officers had suggested amendments to improve the wording of the flooding policy; and sustainable transport officers had recommended a number of changes to improve clarity and ensure alignment with national policy. The proposed response from Cotswold District Council had sought to provide supportive comments and observations to assist Siddington Parish Council in preparing a Neighbourhood Plan that would satisfy the basic and legal conditions required for examination, whilst reflecting the aspirations and objectives of the local community. Officers noted that, once made, the Neighbourhood Plan would form part of the statutory development plan and would be used alongside the adopted Cotswold District Local Plan in the determination of planning applications within the Siddington neighbourhood area.
Although the Council had not been under any obligation to respond to the Regulation 14 consultation, officers had considered that it was appropriate to submit comments at this stage in order to assist the progression of the Plan and to ensure that any matters of concern were identified prior to its submission under Regulation 15. No direct financial or legal implications had been identified arising from the proposed response. |
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Confirmation of Comments To confirm any additional comments received since publication of the agenda. Additional documents: Decision: No additional comments had been received since the publication of the agenda.
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Public Questions The Cabinet Member may invite public contributions or representations verbally at the meeting from members of the public present. Questions must relate directly to the decision. If a question is asked which in the view of the Cabinet Member is not relevant to the decision the member of the public will be advised where to direct their question.
Additional documents: Decision: There were no public questions. |
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Cabinet Member Questions Cabinet Member to ask for any clarifications regarding the report and the decision which is required, including any alternative options which might be considered. Additional documents: Decision: The Cabinet Member asked whether references within the Green Gap policy related to Siddington Parish as a whole or specifically to the village settlement, noting that Siddington comprised several distinct built areas separated by open land.
In response, the officer explained that the Neighbourhood Plan covered the whole parish, but that the Green Gap policy related specifically to the settlement of Siddington. The officer advised that further clarification within the policy would ensure that residents, planners and developers clearly understood the geographical area to which the policy applied. It was confirmed that these matters had been discussed with Siddington Parish Council.
The Cabinet Member welcomed the inclusion of sustainable transport proposals and observed that it was important for the Parish Council to identify its aspirations, even if the routes could not be delivered immediately, particularly in the context of the emerging Local Plan. She asked whether the policies would generally align with the Local Plan, including those relating to design, housing and housing mix.
In response, the officer advised that the proposed policies were considered to be broadly compatible with the Local Plan. It was noted that the sustainable transport policy identified three potential routes in a flexible manner, without prescribing their precise alignment, thereby allowing scope for landownership considerations and future delivery mechanisms. The Cabinet Member commented that this represented a positive approach.
The Cabinet Member also sought clarification regarding references to local people within the housing mix policy.
In response, the officer explained that Siddington Parish Council had previously removed its own eligibility criteria, as Gloucestershire County Council was responsible for the process used to prioritise affordable and social housing allocations. He advised that Gloucestershire's guidance allowed parishes to define what constituted a local connection, including neighbouring parishes if desired, and that this remained an option available to Siddington Parish Council.
The Cabinet Member further referred to flooding issues within Siddington and noted that the Parish Council possessed considerable local knowledge regarding flood sources and potential mitigation measures. Councillor Layton invited further comments from the flood risk officer.
In response, the officer stated that he was generally satisfied with the policy and explained that the suggested amendments related only to points of clarification intended to strengthen the wording, rather than to any significant changes to the policy. |
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Decision The Cabinet Member will verbally confirm the decision, stating whether 1. they accept the recommendations of the officer; 2. they decide to take a different decision contrary to the officer’s recommendation; 3. or whether to refer the decision to a meeting of Cabinet.
The Cabinet Member then must inform the Democratic Services officer present of the reason for the decision which will be formally recorded on the decision notice. Additional documents: Decision: The Cabinet Member accepted the officer recommendations and confirmed their decision to approve the Council's response to the Regulation 14 consultation on the Siddington Draft Neighbourhood Plan 2025–2031, as set out in Annex A, for submission to Siddington Parish Council. In approving the response, the Cabinet Member noted that the comments represented a supportive package of officer observations intended to assist Siddington Parish Council in refining the Plan and ensuring that it met the relevant legal and basic conditions prior to its submission under Regulation 15. |