Agenda item

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

b)    That the Director of Growth, Environment and Transport, following consultation with the relevant Cabinet Lead Members, be authorised to work with HDC in preparing for the Plan’s Examination in Public (EiP), to demonstrate effective and ongoing joint working.  This includes:

i.     To work through issues to seek to reach a satisfactory resolution to the County Council’s transport concerns expressed in its Regulation 19 consultation response;

ii.    To work with HDC with a view to signing an appropriate Statement of Common Ground (SoCG) on transport matters between HDC and the County Council as the Local Transport Authority, in accordance with the timeframe of 14 August 2026 set by the Plan’s examining inspectors.  The SoCG would need to include areas of disagreement where there remain unresolved concerns;

c)    That it be noted that, in the event that the County Council’s transport concerns cannot be satisfactorily resolved and/or it is not possible to reach agreement on a suitable and appropriate SoCG, this could pose a material risk to the continuation of the Plan through its EiP;

d)    That the Director of Growth, Environment and Transport be authorised where necessary to write to the Plan’s Inspectors to update them on the County Council’s position.

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Growth, Environment and Transport which advised of the progress of Harborough District Council’s Local Plan and sought appropriate delegations for the County Council to work with the District Council as required by the Inspectors ahead of the Examination in Public and the initial hearing session, which was scheduled for 12 August 2026.  Copies of the report and supplementary paper, both marked ‘Agenda Item 11’, are filed with these minutes.

Mr. P. King CC spoke as a local member on this report.  He stated that the outstanding transport matters needed to be resolved, and expressed particular concern over the A6 corridor.  Mr King CC was supportive of the County Council working together with the district council to resolve outstanding issues.

Mr. Hamilton-Gray CC noted that the recommendations would enable continued collaborative working and ensure that the County Council could represent its position to the Inspectors where necessary.  It was important that the County Council’s response to the Regulation 19 was addressed as part of the examination process.

Mr. Fowler CC also stated that the update on key matters and next steps was a continuation of the process to date and was necessary to ensure that the interests of local communities were represented. 

RESOLVED:

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

b)    That the Director of Growth, Environment and Transport, following consultation with the relevant Cabinet Lead Members, be authorised to work with HDC in preparing for the Plan’s Examination in Public (EiP), to demonstrate effective and ongoing joint working.  This includes:

i.      To work through issues to seek to reach a satisfactory resolution to the County Council’s transport concerns expressed in its Regulation 19 consultation response;

ii.     To work with HDC with a view to signing an appropriate Statement of Common Ground (SoCG) on transport matters between HDC and the County Council as the Local Transport Authority, in accordance with the timeframe of 14 August 2026 set by the Plan’s examining inspectors.  The SoCG would need to include areas of disagreement where there remain unresolved concerns;

c)    That it be noted that, in the event that the County Council’s transport concerns cannot be satisfactorily resolved and/or it is not possible to reach agreement on a suitable and appropriate SoCG, this could pose a material risk to the continuation of the Plan through its EiP;

d)    That the Director of Growth, Environment and Transport be authorised where necessary to write to the Plan’s Inspectors to update them on the County Council’s position.

REASONS FOR DECISION:

The County Council continues to seek to influence the content of the Local Plan in the interests of local communities, including 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.

Independent Planning Inspectors who have been appointed by the Secretary of State to conduct an independent examination into the soundness and legal compliance of the submitted local plan, have requested that Harborough District Council and the County Council work together to ensure that the Statement of Common Ground is agreed and signed to meet a deadline of 14 August 2026.

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 (as explained in paragraph 33 of the report).  Inspectors are expected to continue to examine plans in line with these policies.

Transport is a significant matter in respect of this Plan.  It is important that the Cabinet makes its decisions understanding the potential risks involved.

Given the significance of these transport matters, it may be necessary to update the Inspectors of the Plan on the County Council’s position as the Examination progresses.