Agenda and draft minutes

No apologies of absence were received at this meeting.

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the Planning and Development Scrutiny Panel meeting held on the 06 November 2025.

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Planning and Development Scrutiny Panel meeting held on the 06 November 2024 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

There were no announcements made by the Chairman.

To receive any declarations of interest from Members in accordance with the Standing Orders and the Council’s Code of Conduct and disclosures of advice or directions received from Group Leaders or Political Groups, in accordance with the Council’s Constitution.

No declarations of interest were made at this meeting.

To receive any deputations of which notice has been lodged.

No deputations were received at this meeting.

To receive a verbal update by the Assistant Director (Finance and ICT) on the Opportunities Plan.

At the agreement of the Chairman this item was brought forward on the agenda.

The Panel received a verbal update from the Policy, Research and Engagement Manager on the Opportunities Plan and progress made to date. Members were then invited to comment on proposals, as put forward in a briefing paper ahead of the meeting, and to identify any further opportunities for inclusion within the plan.

Members discussed the Local Plan funding allocation, commenting that  this could be impacted by the proposed Local Government changes.  Officers advised that the allocated funding was based on previous work undertaken in preparing a Local Plan and that, notwithstanding the plans for devolution and local government re-organisation, there is still a requirement for the Council to ensure that it has an up to date Local Plan in place.

Members asked whether the budget allocated to the Local Plan preparation would need to be reduced as part of the proposals being put forward in the Opportunities Plan. Officers advised that a significant part of the budget relates to staffing costs and that the Planning Strategy team would need to be appropriately resourced in order to effectively progress the review of the Local Plan.

Members discussed the balance between using internal resources and consultants where necessary to deliver the technical advice needed to review the Local Plan. It was acknowledged that it is more cost effective to use in -house resources where possible but that much technical advice required is only available externally. It was highlighted that efficiencies can be achieved through commissioning studies with other authorities within the Partnership of South Hampshire.   

Councillor Whittle put forward a recommendation that, in addition to noting the content of the verbal update, the Panel request that  the resourcing approach taken to the Local Plan work programme be kept under review. This was agreed unanimously.

RESOLVED that the Policy and Development Scrutiny Panel:

(a)   notes the contents of the verbal update; and

(b)  requests that the resourcing approach taken to the Local Plan work programme be kept under review.  

To receive a report from the Director of Planning and Regeneration on the Council’s Local Development Scheme before it is considered by the Executive on the 11 March 2025.

The Panel received a report presented by the Team Leader (Planning Strategy) on the Council’s draft Local Development Scheme. The Scheme is to be considered by the Executive on the 11 March and Members of the Panel were asked to pass any comments for consideration.

It was noted that at Figure 1 on page 15 of the agenda pack,  a correction to the table was needed to show that the proposed mandatory consultation to take place at Gateway 1 should be for a period of 6 weeks and not 8 weeks as stated and that the proposed mandatory consultation to take place at Gateway 2 should be for a period of 8 weeks rather than 6.

Concern was raised that provision has not been made in the timetable to allow for slippage in deadlines, particularly since there is still a significant amount of information to be brought forward by the government on several elements of the process. Members were concerned that delays in information being provided by the government could result in the Council not having an updated, adopted Local Plan in place at the end of the timeline period. This could result in the Plan not holding as much weight as an up-to-date Local Plan when determining planning applications.

The Panel agreed that the Executive be asked to note the following points when considering this item at its meeting on 11 March 2025:

i)       the corrections to Figure 1 on page 15 of the agenda pack in respect of the mandatory consultation periods for Gateways 1 and 2; and

ii)      the Panel’s concerns regarding notable third party risks  to the Council’s ability to deliver the updated Local Plan Review within the proposed Local Development Scheme timeline

RESOLVED that the Planning and Development Scrutiny Panel: -

a)    notes the contents of the Executive report and draft Local Development Scheme at Appendix One to the report ; and

b)    asks that the Executive consider the Panel’s comments on the Local Development Scheme, as detailed above,  at its meeting on 11 March 2025.

To consider any items of business dealt with by the Executive since the last meeting of the Panel, that falls under the remit of Planning and Development Portfolio. This will include any decisions taken by individual Members during the same time period.

Members of the Panel were asked to consider the items of Executive Business.

No comments or questions were received.

No comments or questions were received.

No comments or questions were received.

To provide an opportunity for Members to consider the scrutiny priorities for the Planning and Development Panel.

The Panel was asked to consider the Scrutiny Priorities for the Planning and Development Scrutiny Panel, put forward in a briefing paper ahead of the meeting.

It was noted that  at the last Panel meeting, it had been agreed that  an item in respect of the New Forest Recreational Disturbance Mitigation be brought to this meeting of the Panel. Members were advised that the Strategy document is not yet available for consideration and approval and it was therefore agreed that this item be added as an unallocated item to the Panel’s Scrutiny Priorities.

At the request of Members, it was also agreed that an update on the 5-year Housing Land Supply be brought to the meeting of the Panel scheduled for June 2025.  

RESOLVED that the Panel considered the scrutiny priorities.