Agenda item

The following question, received under Standing Order 34, was put to the Chairman of the Scrutiny Commission:

 

Question asked by Mr David Campbell-Kelly as Chairman of the Willoughby Waterleys Residents Association

 

“As Chairman of the Willoughby Waterleys Residents Association, the committee would like to ask the following questions on behalf of its members, relating to strategic growth within the County.

 

 1.    We understand that the Strategic Growth Plan is to be reviewed by the Members Advisory Group.  As a member of MAG will the County Council seek to ensure that such review will be subject to public consultation before implementation by any MAG member in a Local Plan review?

2.     Will the County Council ensure that such review will look at ALL options for strategic growth, including to the west of the City as presented by WWRA 18 months ago. (Updated report available if required)

3.     Do the County Council agree that Leicester City's unmet housing need is not yet quantified, pending its Local Plan adoption? Is it also agreed that a Statement of Common Ground will be necessary to allocate any unmet need and will the County Council through the MAG seek to ensure that this is subject to public consultation?

4.     Given that the A46 Expressway is not being progressed by Midland Connect, any required infrastructure will need to be funded by development. Why then has The County Council set aside circa £1.5m for Advanced Design Works for a new J20a on the M1?

5.     Blaby DC local plan consultation closed on 12th March 2021. Where and what was the County Council's response? Did it highlight that the allocation of strategic sites by Blaby in advance of an agreed Statement of Common Ground would be premature?”

 

Reply by the Chairman

 

1.          If the SGP needs updating, the County Council will want to ensure the SGP is consulted upon before it is approved for use by all partners.

2.          The scope and options considered will be determined by the MAG.  The County Council will wish to ensure the latest evidence available is taken into account.    

3.          Leicester’s unmet housing need will be quantified through its Local Plan process and a Statement of Common Ground will be prepared by the MAG to apportion the unmet need across the rest of the housing market area.  The Statement of Common Ground will form part of the evidence for individual Local Plans which will be subject to consultation as part of the statutory Local Plan process.

4.          It is appropriate to identify funds for potential works which have been identified in a strategy approved by partners.

5.          The Cabinet at the County Council will be considering its response to Blaby District Council’s New Local Plan Options document on 23 March 2021.   Cabinet papers will be placed on the County Council’s website on Monday, 15 March 2021.

 

Supplementary questions

 

Mr Campbell-Kelly asked the following supplementary questions on the responses provided and, at the invitation of the Chairman, the Assistant Chief Executive responded as set out below:

 

1.              “At Harborough District Council’s Cabinet meeting on 8th March it was agreed to amend its support for the SGP and gave its approval to the review already being undertaken by the MAG.  Do the County Council accept that this review, in the light of the changed circumstances regarding the A46 Expressway and given that the MAG is a non-statutory body, should be the subject of a public consultation in the interest of transparency?”

 

Reply:  The minutes from Harborough District Council’s Cabinet meeting last week were not on its website yet and the Assistant Chief Executive could not therefore comment on what it had resolved.   However, he confirmed that the MAG had decided to carry out a strategic programme of work to decide whether the SGP needed updating.  It would be for the constituent authorities, advised by the MAG, to then decide whether the SGP would be updated and what public consultation would be undertaken.

In response to a query from the Chairman, the Assistant Chief Executive clarified that the MAG did not use the term review but in effect had agreed a programme of work to assess whether there was a need for a review.     

 

2.              “Given that the MAG is a non-statutory body how is it empowered to determine the scope and options and do the County Council agree that “the latest evidence” should include the Strategic option west of Leicester presented by WWRA?”

 

Reply:  The MAG would come to a view on the scope and options and advise the constituent partner authorities that make up the MAG on this.  It would then be for the constituent partner authorities to take decisions through their formal decision-making processes.  The County Council would expect that the MAG would consider any representations it received. 

 

3.              “This answer confirms that a public consultation into the Statement of Common Ground (SoCG), before implementation in any Local Plan review, is not accepted.  Transparency, which is imperative given the significant implications of the SoCG on local communities, would be improved if such a consultation were to take place.  All the more so, as the MAG is a non-statutory body.  Do the County Council not agree?”  

 

Reply: The Statement of Common Ground would be prepared by the MAG but then signed off by each constituent authority through their formal decision-making processes which would provide transparency.   The opportunity for consultation came through individual Local Plan processes in the normal way.

In response to clarification sought by the Chairman, the Assistant Chief Executive further confirmed that the County Council would be consulted on the proposed Statement of Common Ground and the Scrutiny Commission would receive an update on the interim Statement put in place to support Charnwood Borough Council’s Local Plan in due course.

 

4.              “What transport strategy has already been undertaken that warrants such expenditure and what public consultation took place?”

 

Reply: A written response to this question would be provided following consultation with colleagues in the Environment and Transport Department.

 

5.              “It is assumed therefore that the County Council has reached agreement with Blaby District to submit its consultation after the deadline date of 12th March 2021. Can representations still be made to The County Council before Cabinet and therefore before submission?”

 

Reply: The County Council submitted its comments before last Friday’s deadline set by Blaby District Council with the proviso that these comments were subject to the Cabinet’s consideration of this matter on March 23rd.   Blaby District Council were aware and content with this approach.  Representations on the Cabinet report could be made before the meeting on the 23rd.