Issue - meetings

Prior to the report’s introduction, Councillor Peter Coulling addressed the Committee on behalf of the Coordinating Team, Maidstone KALC.

The Strategic Planning Manager introduced the report, referencing the Local Development Scheme (LDS) as agreed by the Committee in July 2021, which provided for a public consultation on the Regulation 19 ‘draft for submission’ documents in October 2021.

The statutory regulations concerning the Local Plan Review (LPR) were highlighted, with the public consultation to take place over the minimum 6-week period. The Committee would consider the responses received before the Regulation 19 ‘draft for submission’ documents were submitted to the Secretary of State.

The importance of the accompanying evidence base was reiterated, as some of these documents were already publicly available, for example as shown from the Committee’s consideration of the Regulation 18 Preferred Approaches stage of the LPR. These had been updated where necessary, with further evidence such as various technical studies and Statements of Common Ground, to be presented to the Committee at its next meeting.

In referencing the previously agreed protocol for Duty to Cooperate (DtC) processes, the Committee strongly felt that there should not be any exempt papers at its next meeting due to the level of public interest.

The Head of Policy, Communications and Governance advised that the decision of whether any report is exempt at publication rested with the proper officer, alongside the importance of following the processes in place for considering such reports. The rules surrounding exempt papers, including draft papers, were briefly outlined.

The Committee reiterated its preference for publicly accessible papers at the point of publication. 

RESOLVED: That

1.  The report be noted; and

2.  The Statements of Common Ground be made publicly available for the 4 October 2021 meeting of the Committee, subject to approval by the Proper Officer and Legal Officer.