NOTICE OF EXECUTIVE DECISION The attached decision was made by the Portfolio Holder for Planning. The decision will come into force and may then be implemented, on the expiry of five working days after the publication of this notice, unless called in by the Review Committee. Signed for Assistant Director, Legal & Democratic Dated 7 June 2019 For further information please contact Member Services on 01702 318141/318179 or email: [email protected] If you would like this document in large print, Braille or another language please contact 01702 318111. EXECUTIVE DECISION BY PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR PLANNING SUBJECT: BASILDON BOROUGH LOCAL PLAN 2014-2034: STATEMENT OF COMMON GROUND 1 DECISION MADE 1.1 That the Council signs a Statement of Common Ground with Basildon Borough Council (Appendix 1) in relation to the Basildon Borough Local Plan 2014-2034. This Statement of Common Ground identifies the areas of agreement between both Councils to inform the future examination of the Basildon Borough Local Plan. 2 NAME OF PORTFOLIO HOLDER 2.1 Cllr I H Ward. 3 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST 3.1 None. The reasons for the decision and alternative options considered are as set out in the Lead Officer’s report (see below). The decision does not depart from Council policy and appropriate consideration has been given to any budgetary and legal implications. Portfolio Holder Signature: Date of Decision: 7 June 2019 * * * * * * * * * * * * 1 REPORT TO PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR PLANNING REPORT FROM MANAGING DIRECTOR SUBJECT: BASILDON BOROUGH LOCAL PLAN 2014-2034: STATEMENT OF COMMON GROUND 1 DECISION BEING RECOMMENDED 1.1 That the Council signs a Statement of Common Ground with Basildon Borough Council (Appendix 1) in relation to the Basildon Borough Local Plan 2014-2034. This Statement of Common Ground identifies the areas of agreement between both Councils to inform the future examination of the Basildon Borough Local Plan. 2 REASON FOR RECOMMENDATION 2.1 The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 2019 supports the preparation of Statements of Common Ground to demonstrate how strategic cross-boundary issues have been addressed in the preparation of Local Plans. The Statement of Common Ground that is the subject of this decision sets out the areas of agreement between the Council and Basildon Borough Council with respect to the Basildon Borough Local Plan 2014-2034 which has recently been submitted to the Secretary of State for examination. 3 SALIENT INFORMATION Basildon Borough Local Plan 2014-2034 3.1 The Basildon Borough Local Plan 2014-2034 will provide a strategy for growth and development within Basildon Borough Council’s administrative area up to 2034, replacing the current saved planning policies from Basildon Borough Council’s 1998 Local Plan. 3.2 Basildon Borough Council consulted on the first stage of its new Local Plan (Draft Local Plan 2016) between January and March 2016. This was followed by a further consultation on new and alternative sites in late 2016. Prior to these consultations, Basildon Borough Council had published two iterations of its Core Strategy which were prepared under the previous Local Development Framework (LDF) system. These consisted of the Preferred Options in 2012 and the Revised Preferred Options in 2014. Rochford District Council has provided formal representations to each of these draft policy documents. 3.3 Building on the 2016 Draft Local Plan consultation, Basildon Borough Council published its Publication draft (Regulation 19) Local Plan in November 2018. This draft Local Plan sets out the vision, strategic objectives, and proposed strategic frameworks, allocations and detailed development management policies for the Borough over the next 15 years. This draft Plan covers the key topic areas within the NPPF, which planning can influence and shape, 2 including infrastructure, housing, town centres, transport, Green Belt and the natural environment. The draft Plan is accompanied by a draft Sustainability Appraisal, which assesses the potential environmental, economic and social effects of the proposed policies and land allocations, and a draft Habitat Regulations Assessment, which assesses the potential effects of the proposed policies and land allocations on areas designated under the Habitats Regulations. The Council submitted a formal representation to this draft Local Plan in December 2018. 3.4 The draft Plan makes land provision for at least 17,791 homes, although it is expected that in the region of 15,465 homes will be delivered over a 20-year period from 2014 to 2034, with staged delivery rates. Around 1,700-2,000 homes are not expected to be delivered by 2034 primarily due to infrastructure delivery constraints. The Councils are in agreement that the most effective mechanism for resolving any unmet housing need across South Essex is through the collaborative work supporting the preparation of the South Essex Joint Strategic Plan. 3.5 With respect to the issue of unmet housing need, the Council’s formal representation from December 2018 acknowledged and supported the commitments to an early review of this Local Plan. In any case, national policy requires adopted Plans to be reviewed at least every five years. It is important that the Council continues to work positively with other authorities in South Essex to address strategic cross-boundary issues, including in the preparation of the South Essex Joint Strategic Plan and supporting projects. 3.6 The draft Local Plan was considered to provide a sound strategy for accommodating Basildon’s other growth needs, including with respect to employment land, which was acknowledged in the Council’s formal representation in December 2018. 3.7 Basildon Borough Council submitted its draft Local Plan to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on 28 March 2019. This draft Local Plan will be examined by an appointed Planning Inspector in due course. 3.8 There are four key tests of soundness that the Planning Inspector will assess this draft Plan against, as set out in paragraph 35 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published in February 2019. These tests are as follows: a) Positively prepared - providing a strategy which, as a minimum, seeks to meet the area’s objectively assessed needs; and is informed by agreements with other authorities, so that unmet need from neighbouring areas is accommodated where it is practical to do so and is consistent with achieving sustainable development; b) Justified - an appropriate strategy, taking into account the reasonable alternatives, and based on proportionate evidence; 3 c) Effective - deliverable over the plan period, and based on effective joint working on cross-boundary strategic matters that have been dealt with rather than deferred, as evidenced by the statement of common ground; and d) Consistent with national policy - enabling the delivery of sustainable development in accordance with the policies in this Framework Statement of Common Ground 3.9 Basildon Borough Council have contacted the Council to request that the two authorities agree a Statement of Common Ground to inform and support the upcoming examination of Basildon’s draft Local Plan. 3.10 The need to prepare Statements of Common Ground is specifically identified in Paragraph 35 of the NPPF. These Statements of Common Ground are intended to evidence that cross-boundary, strategic matters have been adequately dealt with. As a neighbouring local authority, it is important that Rochford District Council positively engages with Basildon Borough Council in order to fulfil its Duty to Co-operate and to ensure that the Inspector examining Basildon’s draft Local Plan is appropriately informed of the Council’s position on the contents of the Plan. 3.11 The Statement of Common Ground prepared re-iterates and expands upon the Council’s formal representation to Basildon’s draft Local Plan consultation. This representation was the subject of a previous Portfolio Holder decision in December 2018. 3.12 In summary, the Statement of Common Ground defines the following areas of agreement: 1. That BBC has worked collaboratively with RDC to ensure that all cross- boundary strategic issues have been properly considered and where appropriate reflected in the Basildon Borough Local Plan 2014-2034 and effective and on-going joint working has and will continue to be undertaken; 2. The Basildon Revised Publication Local Plan does not allocate enough sites to meet the full OAN for housing. However, it commits to working with its neighbours in the South Essex and Brentwood Housing Market Area to prepare a Joint Strategic Plan (the South Essex Plan) which may identify opportunities for this unmet need to be addressed. The Basildon Borough Local Plan identifies two broad locations which will be brought forward as part of the plan’s first review, once options to improve capacity on the A127 have been identified through the South Essex Plan; 3. Basildon Borough Council has been through a transparent decision- making process in order to identify housing sites for inclusion within the Local Plan; 4. Basildon Borough Council acknowledge that Rochford District is currently unable to accommodate any of the unmet housing need arising from this 4 Publication Local Plan, but both Councils are committed to bringing forward a JSP which sets out the spatial approach to accommodating growth, and addresses any unmet housing needs arising across the South Essex Housing Market Area in a coordinated manner underpinned by infrastructure provision; 5. Basildon Borough Council and Rochford District Council consider that the Spatial Distribution of Growth, including housing targets to sustainable Neighbourhood Areas is a justified approach to help meet local housing needs; 6. Basildon Borough Council and Rochford District Council consider the approach for the medium to long-term for the two Broad Locations is pragmatic, justified and effective given the infrastructure constraints. They are committed to engaged positively to effectively plan for strategic infrastructure solutions as part of the South Essex Plan which should help unlock this area for development by the time of the Plan’s first review; 7.