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Agenda item

Local Plan Update

Purpose

That the Committee scrutinises the report and agrees any recommendations it wishes to submit to Cabinet on 9 July 2025.

 

Cabinet Member

Councillor Juliet Layton

 

Lead Officers

Geraldine LeCointe

Jo Symons

Minutes:

The purpose of the report was to confirm the way forward for the Local Plan Update.

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning highlighted the following:

  • It was proposed to merge the Partial Update of the Local Plan, which was nearly complete, with the Development Strategy and Site Allocation Plan to progress towards Regulation 19.
  • It was noted that the plan was due for submission in December 2026 and adoption in 2027. Without an up-to-date Local Plan and housing land supply during this period, the Council would be vulnerable to speculative development, delayed building of affordable homes, S106 agreements and strategic housing.

 

In questioning and discussion, it was noted that:

  • The merger of the existing Local Plan work with the new development strategy was not expected to require additional budget. Planned work, including evidence gathering, consultation, and examination (e.g. Inspector fees, legal advice, and staffing), was expected to be funded from the existing £1 million Local Plan reserve and a £300,000 MHCLG grant.
  • In response to queries about the £215,000 allocated for Stage 2 of the Moreton-in-Marsh Feasibility Study, it was confirmed that Stage 1 was underway, and the need for Stage 2 would be based on its findings.
  • The Local Plan Oversight Board remained within Cabinet. Whilst broader representation was acknowledged, it was considered that existing Cabinet Members provided a wide range of relevant skills and experience.
  • The Oversight Board would provide regular updates to Overview & Scrutiny.
  • Confidence remained that the Local Plan timescale could be met, as significant work had been completed. A full-time project manager was being appointed, with regular coordination meetings planned with the County Council and National Highways. The Planning Advisory Service was ensuring sufficient inspector capacity for the examination.
  • The Council would work with the Cotswold District Council communication team to ensure resident engagement was meaningful and well-timed. Holding public meetings before site viability was confirmed had led to unnecessary costs and staff pressure. Communications regarding the Regulation 19 document would be available for public viewing.
  • A communications strategy was being developed with the communications team to support the Regulation 18 consultation. The strategy would ensure meaningful engagement was adequately resourced.
  • The commitment to delivering affordable homes was reflected in the Regulation 18 policies, which included a 40% affordable housing target. Until the Local Plan was adopted, final decisions on green initiatives and the volume, location, and delivery of affordable housing may be subject to factors beyond the Council’s control.
  • The creation of a Cotswold National Park had been rejected to retain local control over development, housing, and planning. Protection continued under the Cotswold National Landscape as per the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
  • Concerns were noted about development in 16% of the district. Evidence to meet the target of 1,036 homes per year was currently insufficient and would be examined by a planning inspector. Discussions with neighbouring authorities continued on unmet housing needs, and future Gloucestershire-wide strategies would aim to address regional requirements and development sites.
  • The Moreton-in-Marsh Working Group would only meet if the area was deemed viable for major development.
  • The number of strategic sites identified was currently unknown and would be confirmed once the assessment study was completed.
  • The option of a garden town or village remained under consideration but was unlikely due to timeline constraints.
  • Concerns were raised about workload and potential delays from consultant reports, with suggestions that current staffing may be insufficient. Assessments continued as planned, supported by a project manager. The Deputy Chief Executive Officer proposed Cabinet prioritised contingency funding in the upcoming budget. The importance of balancing resource requests without impacting routine planning services was emphasised.
  • Engagement with water and electricity providers was ongoing and would be actively maintained to support the Local Plan’s progress.
  • Despite national challenges for housing associations, the Council worked with reliable local providers. The £39 billion government affordable homes programme was expected whilst the housing team monitored local funding options.

 

The following recommendations were made to Cabinet:

  1. That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee receive timely updates as the Local Plan develops.
  2. That the Council commits to a publicly available communications and engagement strategy for both Regulation 18 and Regulation 19 consultations, specifying:

·         What methods will be used (digital, in-person, targeted)

·         Clear stakeholder mapping with consideration of how hard-to-reach groups will be involved

·         How it will be resourced

·         How Artificial Intelligence (AI) summaries will be verified and validated

·         How the Council will lobby the government on the unrealistic housing targets

  1. That the Local Plan is disseminated to Town and Parish Councils to ensure two-way dialogue on proposed site allocations and development priorities commencing June 2026 as part of the Regulation 19 consultation on the draft plan.
  2. That the Council considers the establishment of a Local Plan (Contingency) reserve to support the delivery and completion of the Local Plan.  Cabinet are encouraged to consider this request as part of the 2026/27 Budget Strategy and MTFS Update due in October 2025 to ensure adequate resources are made available at the start of the Local Plan delivery timetable.
  3. That consideration is given to whether the proposed resources are sufficient to meet the anticipated risks set out in the report.
  4. That the Council ensures that sufficient resources are in place to deliver the business-as-usual planning activity such as the management of planning applications and enforcement activity and this is considered as part of the 2026/27 Budget Strategy and MTFS Update due in October 2025.

 

Councillor Joe Harris proposed supporting the recommendations in the Local Plan Update report and submitting the six Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommendations to Cabinet and Councillor Angus Jenkinson seconded the proposal.

 

RESOLVED: to APPROVE the Local Plan Update.

 

Break: 15:53 – 16:08

 

Supporting documents:

 

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