Issue - meetings

The Senior Planner introduced the report which provided an update following the Duty to Co-operate report presented to the Committee on 25 June 2019 and outlined the future co-operation arrangements proposed. The activities undertaken with neighbouring authorities to date were shown at Appendix 1 to the report.

Under the duty to co-operate the Council had engaged with a range of prescribed bodies to shape the draft plan. Future discussion would focus on strategic matters. The approach outlined to engaging with prescribed bodies considered the organisational structures and governance arrangements within non-governmental bodies. It was proposed that future updates from those engagement meetings would be provided through the Local Plan Review Update agenda item.

The Senior Planner highlighted the importance of recording progress on discussions, matters of agreement and disagreement and statements of common ground; the latter would be signed by all neighbouring authorities and where necessary, other prescribed bodies, to address key issues. The sign-off procedures proposed were referenced.

The Committee favoured an increased level of Member involvement throughout the process of Level 1-3 meetings was favoured to provide greater awareness of the issues being discussed.  It was felt that a record of meetings held being publicly available would increase the process’ transparency.

The Strategic Planning Manager explained that the Committee would be requested to sign-off the document at the Regulation 19 stage, after which the elected member in attendance at the Level 3 meetings would be expected to be available to be briefed of any ongoing changes.

The Committee felt that as well as the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Committee, the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Policy and Resources Committee should be eligible to be involved in the meetings where appropriate. 

RESOLVED: That the framework for future duty to co-operate activities, the sign-off procedure for future meeting minutes and the arrangements for statements of common ground be agreed, subject to the following:

1.  Officer Duty to Co-operate meetings will take place in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Committee;

2.  Member meetings would involve the Chair and Vice-Chair of both the Policy and Resources Committee and the Strategic Planning and Infrastructure Committee, as required;

3.  A basic record the meeting would be published on the Council’s website;

4.  Statements of Common Ground be held in draft form and then presented to the Committee when ready for agreement, with any urgent subsequent changes to be in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Committee; and

5.  The protocol be re-presented to the Committee, to include the changes requested, for ratification.