Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Environment

Forward Plan Ref: 2015/113

Contact: Peter Day, Minerals & Waste Team Leader Tel: (01865) 815544

Report by Director for Environment & Economy (CA9).

The County Council must prepare and maintain a Minerals and Waste Development Scheme, setting out the programme for production of the Minerals and Waste Plan. The original Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Development Scheme came into effect in May 2005 and a number of revisions have been made since then, most recently in December 2014. The timetable for preparation of Part 1 of the Plan - the Core Strategy in the most recent revision is now out of date. In addition, a more specific timetable is needed for the preparation of Part 2 of the Plan - the Site Allocations Document. A further revision of the Development Scheme is therefore now required.

The Minerals and Waste Core Strategy was submitted in December 2016 for independent examination by a planning inspector. The revised programme shows that, subject to the Inspector's report, it is now expected the Core Strategy will be adopted by the Council in November 2016. The proposed programme for the Site Allocations Document shows work commencing in June 2016; consultation in September 2017; publication and submission for examination in 2018; and it being adopted by the Council in April 2019.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

(a)          approve the Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Development Scheme (Seventh Revision) 2016 at Annex 1, subject to final detailed amendment and editing, to have effect from 4 February 2016;

(b)         authorise the Deputy Director Strategy & Infrastructure Planning to:

(1)     carry out any final detailed amendment and editing of the Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Development Scheme that may be necessary, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment;

(2)     take the necessary steps to bring the revised Scheme into effect from 4 February 2016 and publish the revised Scheme, in accordance with Sections 15 and 16 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended).

Recommendations agreed.

The County Council must prepare and maintain a Minerals and Waste Development Scheme, setting out the programme for production of the Minerals and Waste Plan. The original Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Development Scheme came into effect in May 2005 and a number of revisions had been made since then, most recently in December 2014. The timetable for preparation of Part 1 of the Plan - the Core Strategy in the most recent revision was now out of date. In addition, a more specific timetable was needed for the preparation of Part 2 of the Plan - the Site Allocations Document. A further revision of the Development Scheme was therefore now required. Cabinet had before them a draft Scheme.

Steve Curran, Shadow Cabinet Member for Environment referred to paragraph 8 of the report commenting that the supplementary planning documents on a Minerals and Waste Development Code of Practice and on Restoration and After-use of Minerals and Waste Sites were important and the Scheme should say more than it does. He noted that on page 419 it referred to approval already having been given and that this gave the wrong impression. The Chairman stressed that it was only a draft document. Councillor Curran commented that he would prefer to see any necessary additional decisions taken by the Cabinet Member as it is was important that decisions were seen as transparent. He made a number of detailed comments relating to delays, costs and funding requirements. He queried the use of consultants to facilitate stakeholder engagement.  In response Councillor Nimmo Smith  gave assurances that the decisions would be visible noting that the final report would come to full Council. He accepted that restoration was important but added that this was a procedural document. There would be opportunities for discussion throughout the process.

RESOLVED:           to

(a)            approve the Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Development Scheme (Seventh Revision) 2016 at Annex 1, subject to final detailed amendment and editing, to have effect from 4 February 2016;

(b)            authorise the Deputy Director Strategy & Infrastructure Planning to:

(1)    carry out any final detailed amendment and editing of the Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Development Scheme that may be necessary, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment;

(2)    take the necessary steps to bring the revised Scheme into effect from 4 February 2016 and publish the revised Scheme, in accordance with Sections 15 and 16 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended).