Agenda item

(To receive a report by Adrian Winkley (Minerals and Waste Policy Team Leader), which invites the Committee to consider a report on the Lincolnshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan Site Locations, which is due to be considered by the Executive on 07 November 2017. The views of the Scrutiny Committee will be reported to the Executive as part of its consideration of this item)

Consideration was given to a report by Adrian Winkley (Minerals and Waste Policy Team Leader), which invited the Committee to consider a decision report on the Lincolnshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan: Site Locations document, which was due to be considered by the Executive on 7 November 2017.  The views of the Committee would be reported to the Executive as part of its consideration of the item.

The Minerals and Waste Policy Team Leader presented the Executive's report to the Committee and provided a detailed presentation on the background in producing a Mineral and Waste Local Plan.

The Committee was reminded that as the Minerals and Waste Planning Authority for the County, Lincolnshire County Council had a statutory responsibility for producing a Minerals and Waste Local Plan (MWLP).  It was noted that this had been produced in two parts and covered the period up to 2031.

The first part of the plan, the Core Strategy and Development Management Policies (CSDMP) document had been formally adopted by the County Council on 1 June 2016, following a public examination.  The second part of the plan, the Site Locations document, included the specific proposals and policies for the provision of land for the winning and working of sand and gravel and for waste management in line with the strategic policies of the CSDMP. A Pre-Submission Draft of the document, as detailed at Appendix A to the report, was endorsed by the Executive on 1 November 2016 and, following a period of consultation, had been approved by the County Council on 24 February 2017 for submission to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (SoS) for examination. Details of the consultation were detailed at Appendix B to the report.

The examination was conducted by an independent inspector appointed by the SoS, which had included public hearings between 25 and 27 July 2017.  The Committee was advised that during the examination of a number of minor modifications ("Additional Modifications") were proposed by the Council's officers to address issues which had been raised through the consultation, as detailed at Appendix C to the report.

The examination closed on 19 September 2017 with the issuing of the Inspector's report, as detailed at Appendix D to the report, which recommended the plan be adopted on the basis that it had met the full requirements of Section 20(5) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.  The Inspector also advised that the incorporation of the Additional Modifications would not affect the soundness of the plan.

It was noted that the County Council's former Environmental Scrutiny Committee had thoroughly considered the Minerals and Waste Local Plan at key stages in the development of the Plan.

The Committee was provided with an opportunity to ask questions, where the following points were noted: -

·         The Committee emphasised the need for substantial and effective consultation with local communities, including Parish and District Councils, as part of any future planning applications received under the Plan. Officers confirmed that the Plan had been in development since 2008, and had included consultation with local District and Parish Councils, as well as a Public Examination.  In addition, the Committee received reassurance from Officers that future planning applications would go through the statutory planning process with detailed assessments of potential impacts and consultation with local communities;

·         A member of the Committee highlighted that some of the proposed Waste Areas included in the Plan had caused concern among local communities in Lincolnshire, particularly due to the extensive areas covered.  Officers explained that there was a distinct difference between the specific Waste Site and the more general Waste Areas identified as suitable for waste development.  Only one Waste Site has been allocated and this was a single plot of land to be safeguarded for waste management.  All the other allocations were Waste Areas, which extended over several plots of land already identified in district council local plans as suitable for industrial/employment uses.  The Waste Areas collectively covered an area far greater than what would be required to accommodate the waste management facilities required during the plan period.  This approach provided flexibility. The Waste Areas were not safeguarded for Waste Management, as some would be developed in accordance with the District Council Local Plans. Officers also highlighted that the type of  waste management that would be acceptable in the Waste Areas would  primarily be undertaken in buildings and would be compatible with the types of development for which the areas had been allocated in the District Council Local Plans;

·         Concerns were raised that Pinchbeck Parish Council had not been consulted.  In response Officers advised that all parish councils had been consulted at key stages in the development of the Plan; 

·         The Committee highlighted that effective communication and engagement was essential in going forward, as a false impression could be given by the phrase waste development in the wider context. The Committee recognised it was important to stress that there was a distinct difference between the size of the allocated Waste Areas in the plan and the areas that would be covered by any future Planning Applications for specific waste management sites;

·         A member of the Committee queried how historic sites and previous planning applications fitted into the proposed Plan.  Officers confirmed that the Plan had only outlined specific proposals and policies for the provision of land for the working of sand and gravel and for waste management for the period up to 2031 and did not cover any historic sites;

·         The Committee highlighted the positive representations and support from local nature conservation groups and other organisations associated with the natural environment in relation to possible future restoration options. The Committee also supported the need to balance the recreation of natural habitats against the preservation of quality agricultural land as part of any future site restoration;

·         The Committee were reassured that the Plan had looked to provide a level of certainty on the geographical areas where sand and gravel extraction and waste management could be expected over the period of the Plan.  In addition, the Committee endorsed the need to ensure the sites and areas included in the Plan be monitored as part of an annual process and reviewed where appropriate to ensure that the document responded to changing circumstances in the future.

RESOLVED

(1)  That the recommendations within the Executive's report be supported.

(2)  That the comments of the Committee, as detailed above, be passed to the Executive for its consideration of the item on 7 November 2017.