Breckland Local Plan Consultation Statement 1
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Region 1. Introduction 2 2. Issues and Options 3 3. Preferred Directions 5 4. Proposed Sites and Settlement 7 Boundaries 5. General and Specific Consultees 9 6. Conformity with the Statement of 16 Community Involvement Breckland Local Plan Consultation Statement 1 1 Introduction 1.1 This statement of consultation will be submitted to the Secretary of State as part of the examination of the Breckland Local Plan. The statement sets out the information required under Regulation 22 (c) of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012. This statement shows: Who was consulted; How they have been consulted; A summary of the issues raised How issues have been addressed within the Local Plan. 1.2 The 2012 Local Planning Regulations sets out the stages of consultation that a Local Plan is required to go through prior to its submission to the Secretary of State. These are: Regulation 18: a consultation whereby the local authority notifies of their intention to prepare a Local Plan and representations are invited about what the Local Plan should contain Regulation 19: prior to submitting the Local Plan to the Secretary of State, the proposed submission document is made available to the general consultation bodies and the specific consultation bodies. 1.3 In accordance with the regulations and Breckland's Statement of Community Involvement, the Local Plan has been subjected to a number of consultation periods. These are summarised below: Regulation 18: Issues and Options consultation Regulation 18: Preferred Directions consultation Regulation 18: Preferred Sites and Settlement Boundaries consultation 1.4 Full details of each of these consultations is included within this statement. 1.5 The appendices to this statement are included as a separate document due to their size. 2 Breckland Local Plan Consultation Statement 2 Issues and Options Introduction 2.1 The Breckland Local Plan Issues and Options consultation ran from 17th November 2014 until 9th January 2015. The consultation covered an 8 week period, and was extended beyond the usual 6 weeks to account from the Christmas period. The consultation received 1130 representations from 140 individuals and organisations. Who was consulted 2.2 The consultation was carried out in accordance with the Councils adopted Statement of Community Involvement (2013). Local and National interest groups were consulted in accordance with Government regulations. The regulations set out two separate groups to be consulted, specific consultation bodies and general consultation bodies. 2.3 Specific Consultation Bodies - these are statutory bodies involved in service provision, government agencies working on particular issues and Town and Parish Councils within or adjoining Breckland. Norfolk County Council and adjoining Districts Councils. The specific consultees included: Natural England The Environment Agency Highways Agency English Heritage 2.4 A full list can be seen here: 5 'General and Specific Consultees' 2.5 General Consultation Bodies - a full list of general consultation bodies can be seen at 5 'General and Specific Consultees'. However it included: Voluntary bodies and community groups whose activities benefit or represent different racial, ethnic or religious groups, disabled persons and persons carrying out business in the Authorities Area. Landowners/agents who have submitted sites and the public who have expressed an interest in the Local Plan How the public were consulted 2.6 The Breckland Local Plan Issues and Options consultation and Sustainability Appraisal was made available online on Breckland's consultation portal http://consult.breckland.gov.uk/portal The documents were also placed in Breckland Council offices in Dereham and Thetford, libraries in the Districts market towns of Attleborough, Dereham, Swaffham, Thetford and Watton and within the customer contact centres in each of these towns. 2.7 Hard copies of the document were sent to all of Breckland's Town and parish Councils and an advert was placed in the Eastern Daily Press, which is shown at appendix B. 2.8 Six public meetings were held at the following venues to inform parish councils and the public of the Local Plan: Town and Parish Councils only – Monday 17th November – Anglia Room Breckland Council Offices, Dereham (2pm-7pm) Thursday 20th November – Dereham Memorial Hall (2pm – 7pm) Monday 24th November – Swaffham Assembly Rooms (2pm – 6:30pm) Thursday 27th November – Watton Queens Hall (2pm – 7pm) Breckland Local Plan Consultation Statement 3 2 Thursday 4th December – Attleborough Town Hall (2pm – 6pm) Tuesday 9th December – Thetford Guild Hall (2pm – 7pm) What was said 2.9 During the consultation 1130 comments were received from 140 individuals and organisations. In addition 516 land representations have also been submitted. A summary of the comments received by question is included within Appendix E. Comments were received from a number of the statutory consultees the Environment Agency, English Heritage, Norfolk County Council, and a number of the town and parish councils. The full comments are available to view on the Council's consultation portal http://consult.breckland.gov.uk/portal How the issues raised were addressed 2.10 The representations from the issues and options document have helped to formulate the preferred options document. This has included through the setting of the housing target, the spatial strategy and the designation of Local Service Centre villages. The representations also formulated the approach to the economy and the development management policies. 4 Breckland Local Plan Consultation Statement 3 Preferred Directions 3.1 The preferred directions consultation covered a six week period from 11th January 2016 until 22nd February 2016. The consultation was made up of the following documents: Preferred Directions Part 1 - Policies Preferred Directions Part 2 - Emerging Sites Preferred Directions Sustainability Appraisal Part 1 - Policies Preferred Directions Sustainability Appraisal Part 2 - Emerging Sites 3.2 During the consultation 1,586 responses were received on Part 1: Preferred Directions, 54 on the Part 1 Preferred Directions Sustainability Appraisal, 922 on Local Plan Part 2 – Emerging Site Options and a further 31 on Part 2 – Emerging Site Options Interim Sustainability Appraisal. Furthermore, during the consultation period a further 114 site representation were submitted. Who was consulted 3.3 The consultation was carried out in accordance with the statement of community involvement. This included both the specific consultation bodies, (which include the statutory consultees), and the general consultation bodies incorporating voluntary and community groups, land owners and agents. How the public were consulted 3.4 A number of different mechanisms were used to engage members of the public in the preferred directions consultation. The document was made available on the Council's website and also on the consultation portal, where representations on the plan were also placed. 3.5 The document was made available on public display at the Council offices in Dereham and Thetford, the customer contact centres in each of the five market towns, and also at each of the towns libraries. Furthermore, hard copies of the document were also sent to each of the Town and Parish Council's. An advert was placed within the Eastern Daily Press at the start of the consultation advising of the consultation period, where the documents would be made available and also of the drop-in events. A copy of the press advert can be seen in appendix J. A number of press releases were also sent out, which generated articles within local newspapers. 3.6 To accompany the consultation 9 public drop-in events were held, details of which are shown below. Posters were provided to each of the town and parish council's to place on public notice boards within their parishes to advise of the drop-in events. Thursday 14th January – Attleborough Town Hall (2pm – 7pm) Wednesday 20th January – Swaffham Assembly Rooms (2pm – 7pm) Monday 25th January - Thetford Guildhall (2pm-7pm) Wednesday 27th January – Mundford Village Hall (2pm-7pm) Thursday 28th January – Dereham Memorial Hall (2pm-7pm) Tuesday 2nd February – Shropham Village Hall (2pm-7pm) Thursday 4th February – North Elmham Institute Hall (2pm-7pm) Tuesday 9th February – Watton Queens Hall (2pm-7pm) Thursday 11th February – Necton Village Hall (2pm-7pm) 3.7 In addition to the 9 public drop-in events, two events specifically for town and parish councils were also held on 18th January, The first meeting started at 5pm for all parish councils informing them about the Local Plan. A second session started at 6:30pm for those groups who were currently preparing a neighbourhood plan. On request, specific meeting were held with parish councils which were also open to members of the public. These were: Breckland Local Plan Consultation Statement 5 3 North Elmham - 13th January North Elmham - 21st January Bawdeswell - 1st February What was said 3.8 A total of 2,707 comments were received during the consultation period. A full summary is available at appendix L. Comments were received from a number of the statutory consultees including Norfolk County Council, the Environment Agency, RSPB, Anglian Water, Norfolk Wildlife Trust, and Natural England. In addition to this a number of the town and parish councils also responded. How the issues raised were addressed 3.9 The representations received during the consultation period have led to the revision of a number of