Agenda item

The Senior Policy Planner introduced a report seeking approval of the “Composite” Plan which would bring all of Slough’s current planning policies into a single document and would include a statement of intent regarding the presumption in favour of sustainable development, and explanatory text regarding its consistency with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

Members were informed that the Council’s ‘Self-Assessment’ had been opened up to a six-week period for public comment to test the conformity of Slough Development Plans with the NPPF.  The report provided full details of the comments received, and the overall conclusion was that no major conflicts with the NPPF were identified and there was no need to carry out a review of the Local Plan at this stage.  This enabled the Council to proceed with the publication of a “Composite Plan” bringing together all the current policies which together formed the Development Plan for Slough.

In response to comments made by the Committee it was confirmed that publication of the “Composite” Local Plan for Slough still gave the Council the flexibility to produce new or updated elements of the Plan if required.  After due consideration, the Committee approved the recommendations set out in the report.

Resolved –

(a)  That the comments received on the Council’s “Self Assessment” of the conformity of Slough planning policies with the National Planning Policy Framework, as set out in the report and Appendix 1 be noted;

(b)  That the publication of the ‘Composite’ Local Plan for Slough be agreed, including the insertion of the statement of intent with a presumption in favour of sustainable development and the insertion of an explanatory box as to how the sequential test in Core Policy 6 (Retail, Leisure and Community facilities) will be interpreted;

(c)  That Policy 10 (Outside Preferred Areas) of the Replacement Minerals Plan for Berkshire will no longer be used for development control purposes in Slough;

(d)  That the existing Local Development Scheme (LDS) be withdrawn; and

(e)  That the need to review the Local Plan for Slough in the future be monitored through the Annual Monitoring Report.