Agenda item

a)    That the proposed timetable for the progression of the Blaby District Council (BDC) Local Plan be noted;

b)    That the County Council’s emerging position on BDC’s Local Plan Regulation 19 consultation, set out in paragraphs 41 to 88 and the Appendix to the report, be agreed, noting in particular that the County Council:

i.     Recognises the significant challenges and pressures that Plan Making Authorities, such as BDC, are facing;

ii.    Does not raise any fundamental issue with the Plan’s spatial strategy, subject to a suitable delivery and contribution strategy, and consideration of viability implications over the plan period being set out with necessary modifications to plan policies for identified strategic sites;

iii.   In its role as Local Transport Authority, the County Council considers that the Plan in its current form fails to meet the National Planning Policy Framework tests of soundness, insofar as its transport evidence and policy approach to mitigating cumulative transport impacts;

c)    That the Director of Growth, Environment and Transport, following consultation with the relevant Cabinet Lead Members, be authorised to make amendments to the detailed Regulation 19 response, noting that:

i.     Amendments will take into account officers’ views of the recently published Whole Plan Viability Assessment and Infrastructure Delivery Plan;

ii.    The formal response (comprising the Cabinet report and updated Appendix) will be submitted to BDC ahead of the consultation period closing on 24 August 2026;

d)    That, in its role as Local Transport Authority, the County Council undertakes its own separate transport evidence work given the County Council’s recognition of the importance of the next Blaby Local Plan to the future delivery of strategic growth and infrastructure across south Leicestershire.

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Growth, Environment and Transport which advised of the progress of Blaby District Council’s Local Plan and presented the County Council’s emerging position to its Regulation 19 consultation.  The report also set out the officer’s recommended course of action for the County Council, in its role as Local Transport Authority, to undertake its own separate evidence work to support the progress of the Local Plan.  Copies of the report and a supplementary paper, both marked ‘Agenda Item 10’, are filed with these minutes.

Mr. Hamilton-Gray CC stated that the Blaby Local Plan would shape growth and infrastructure across the district to 2042 and was therefore of significant importance.  He acknowledged that further work was required around transport impacts and infrastructure delivery, and was keen that the right policies were in place to ensure that the highways and transport networks were fit for purpose in the future.

RESOLVED:

a)    That the proposed timetable for the progression of the Blaby District Council (BDC) Local Plan be noted;

b)    That the County Council’s emerging position on BDC’s Local Plan Regulation 19 consultation, set out in paragraphs 41 to 88 and the Appendix to the report, be agreed, noting in particular that the County Council:

i.      Recognises the significant challenges and pressures that Plan Making Authorities, such as BDC, are facing;

ii.     Does not raise any fundamental issue with the Plan’s spatial strategy, subject to a suitable delivery and contribution strategy, and consideration of viability implications over the plan period being set out with necessary modifications to plan policies for identified strategic sites;

iii.   In its role as Local Transport Authority, the County Council considers that the Plan in its current form fails to meet the National Planning Policy Framework tests of soundness, insofar as its transport evidence and policy approach to mitigating cumulative transport impacts;

c)    That the Director of Growth, Environment and Transport, following consultation with the relevant Cabinet Lead Members, be authorised to make amendments to the detailed Regulation 19 response, noting that:

i.      Amendments will take into account officers’ views of the recently published Whole Plan Viability Assessment and Infrastructure Delivery Plan;

ii.     The formal response (comprising the Cabinet report and updated Appendix) will be submitted to BDC ahead of the consultation period closing on 24 August 2026;

d)    That, in its role as Local Transport Authority, the County Council undertakes its own separate transport evidence work given the County Council’s recognition of the importance of the next Blaby Local Plan to the future delivery of strategic growth and infrastructure across south Leicestershire.

REASONS FOR DECISION:

The Local Plan process is the main opportunity available to planning authorities and statutory consultees to influence places on a strategic level and ensure the cumulative impacts of growth are planned for.

The County Council is therefore seeking to influence the content of the Blaby Local Plan in the interests of local communities.  This includes ensuring that the Local Plan provides an as robust as possible policy platform for securing the provision of the infrastructure and services that are required to support its successful delivery.

In its role as Local Transport Authority, the County Council undertaking its own separate evidence work will provide the Local Transport Authority with sufficient evidence to appropriately demonstrate the Plan’s transport impacts and associated requirements for mitigation and transport interventions.  The intention is that the work would be completed and shared with the district council so as to inform discussions about, and agreement of, a schedule of proposed Main Modifications to the Plan (and to the Infrastructure Delivery Plan) to be submitted alongside the Plan.

On 25 March 2026, new regulations came into force, which meant that the Duty to Co-operate would no longer apply to new, or emerging Local Plans.  Notwithstanding this change, the National Planning Policy Framework (December 2024) still requires “maintaining effective co-operation” across administrative boundaries (paragraphs 26-29).  Inspectors are expected to continue to examine plans in line with these policies.