Agenda item

To consider a report concerning the adoption of the Reigate and Banstead Development Plan (2018-2027).

Councillor R. Biggs, Executive Member for Planning Policy, introduced the report and explained that the Reigate and Banstead Development Management Plan (DMP) was the second part of the Council’s Local Plan. The Executive was informed that the DMP set out detailed development management policies and site allocations that were required to achieve the development objectives and targets in the already adopted Core Strategy. The following points were noted:

-       The report presented to the Executive represented the culmination of a number of years of preparation, including extensive public and stakeholder consultation, joint working and public examination by an independent Planning Inspector.

-       The Inspector’s Final Report, received in July 2019, concluded that, subject to a number of modifications, the DMP was legal compliant and sound, and could therefore be adopted by the Council.

-       The hard work of all those involved in the process.

The Executive Member for Planning Policy highlighted that the main modifications, which the Inspector had recommended as being necessary to make the plan sound, were acceptable. In response to questions, it was explained that these modifications, which needed to be accepted in order to adopt the DMP, had in the main been put forward proactively by the Council during the examination process and had been subject to public consultation.

The Executive Member for Planning Policy highlighted that adoption of the DMP was an important step and would bring significant benefits, including:

-       Replacement of the existing 2015 Borough Local Plan, which together with the Core Strategy, would ensure the Council had a comprehensive, robust and up to date Local Plan.

-       Reinforcing the Council’s commitments to remaining a plan-led authority.

-       The introduction of a range of new policy requirements which would support the Council in achieving high quality development that would maximise the benefits to local residents.

-       Ensuring the Council had a clear strategy to bring forward the right development sites, in the right places and at the right time in order to meet local needs.

During the discussion a variety of matters were considered, including issues in relation to the accommodation needs of Gypsies, travellers, and travelling showpeople; Redhill aerodrome; the Inspector’s report into the DMP; the benefits of adopting the DMP; superseded policies; policies that would be used to assess planning applications for new developments; policy designations, including areas where a particular approach to new development would be taken; issues in relation to site allocations; requirements in relation to having an up to date policies map in order to show how policies set out in the DMP would apply across the borough; and the pressures and challenges associated with development.

In addition, a variety of cross-cutting themes were considered in relation to sites, policies and numbers while the role of the Development Management Advisory Group (DMAG), especially in relation to helping to deliver the vision and objectives of the Core Strategy with regards to protecting the natural and historic environment, was also considered.  

RECOMMENDED that:

(i)           The Inspector’s Report, set out at Appendix 1 to the report presented to the Executive, be noted and the Development Management Plan (Appendix 2) incorporating the main modifications recommended by the Inspector and additional modifications (Appendix 3), be adopted with immediate effect.

(ii)          The ‘saved’ (i.e. those not already withdrawn) policies of the Reigate and Banstead Borough Local Plan 2005 and policy CS15 of the Core Strategy 2014 specified as superseded in Annex 2 of the Development Management Plan be withdrawn with immediate effect.

RESOLVED that:

(i)            The Reigate and Banstead Policies Map be updated to reflect the policies, allocations and designations of the Development Management Plan in line with the maps set out in Appendix 4 to the report presented to the Executive.

(ii)          The Head of Planning be authorised, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning Policy, to make any necessary additional modifications to the Development Management Plan and Policies Map to ensure factual accuracy and clarity prior to adoption/publication.

Reason for decision: The Development Management Plan is an important part of ensuring the borough has an up-to-date Local Plan. Adopting the DMP ensures the Council has up to date policies for determining planning applications and provides certainty for residents, developers and other local stakeholders as to the type of development that will and will not be acceptable across the borough.

Alternative options: To not approve the adoption of the Development Management Plan. Adopting the DMP without incorporating all of the Main Modifications set out in the Inspector’s report, or with alternative Main Modifications, is not an option. This is because Section 23 (3) and (4) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 dictates that, where the appointed Inspector recommends Main Modifications, the Council must only adopt the document with these Main Modifications incorporated.