Decisions and Recommendations

RESOLVED to approve the members of Committees as set out in the schedule of nominations by Group Leaders within Annex 1.

In line with statutory obligations the Council must review its Local Plan every five years starting with the date of the adoption, and if not necessary to update it, must publish its review. The Council's Core Strategy was adopted on 3 July 2014 and reviewed 2 July 2019, this second review is within five years of the last review.
The Council is also required to review its Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) every 5 years. Council is asked to approve and adopt the Local Plan Review and revised SCI.

Councillor Essex requested to speak to the recommendation. Mister Mayor agreed in accordance with Procedure Rule 2.13.4(i). Councillor Essex made the following remarks:

·       Formal thanks were given to planning officers for their hard work in undertaking the review.

·       The desire was expressed that when the Development Management Plan review came forward later in the year, Council would commit to a cross-party approach to addressing the detail on climate targets and affordable housing.

·       Enquired what could be done to mandate delivery of the 438 affordable homes detailed in the 2019 needs assessment.

RESOLVED to approve and adopt:

 i.        the review of the Reigate & Banstead local plan: Core Strategy policies (Annex 1), which concluded that the Core Strategy policies remain “up to date” and effective for the purposes of planning decisions, and that it be published; and

ii.        an indicative timetable for a new local plan (Annex 4).

To note the Annual Report of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and recommend it to  Full Council for approval.

Councillor Buttironi, in his capacity as the Vice Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, introduced the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report for 2023/24 and the Proposed Annual Work Programme for 2024/25.  The work of the Committee was detailed including its consideration of the Council’s finances and the Marketfield Way Project. The Committee’s Proposed Annual Work Programme for 2024/25 had been prepared and agreed by the Committee and the Leader consulted on its contents. It was being presented to Council for approval. This included the commitment to establish a Local Plan Scrutiny Panel as well as plans to review revisions to the recycling service as a consequence of the Government’s new Resources and Waste Strategy. Other planned areas of scrutiny included the Leisure & Culture Strategy as well as wastewater arrangements.

RESOLVED to note the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report for 2023/24 and approve the Overview and Scrutiny Proposed Annual Work Programme for 2024/25.

RESOLVED to approve the:

1. Treasury Management Strategy for 2024/25;
2. Investment Strategy 2024/25; and
3. Capital Strategy 2024/25.