Agenda item

Mr Stimpson, Planning Policy Lead Officer, outlined the proposed Local Plan Issues and Options Consultation document, including a summary of the key policies, for Members consideration.

The Committee were reminded that the Council was proposing to produce an “Issues and Options” report as the first stage in the Review of the Local Plan for Slough. It was brought to Members attention that this was not a draft plan but a discussion document which would be put forward for public consultation.

Members were informed that the Cabinet was due to consider the “Issues and Options” report at its meeting on 21^st November, following which it would be the subject of a public consultation exercise for six weeks beginning in January 2017. The results of the consultation exercise would be fed into a “Preferred Options” document which would be followed by the production of a “Submission” version of the plan, for submission to the Secretary of State and  a public inquiry. The timing of the later stages of the plan will be at least partly dependent upon external factors such as any proposals for Heathrow airport and the results of Duty to Cooperate discussions with neighbouring authorities.

A previous report to the Committee had highlighted what the key issues were for the Review of the Local Plan and the report to the last meeting set out what the possible Spatial Options were for distributing development throughout the Borough.

Details of the overall themes of the Local Plan and what the key policy responses could be were highlighted.  The Committee noted details of the report and had no specific comments to make on the document prior to its consideration at the Cabinet.

Resolved –  That details of the Issues and Options Consultation Document are noted.