More time agreed to develop the plan for South Somerset

The council has been working on a set of draft policies that cover everything from how much housing and employment space is built and where, to what schools, roads, shops, parks and other services are needed in support.

Around a thousand people made formal comments on the draft plan during a six-week public consultation with over twenty local events, held last year. 

Since then, the district council has been considering the responses and updated research to refine the proposals within the draft plan, known as the draft Core Strategy.

The council is now aiming to finalise its report containing updated proposals for Area Committee consideration in the New Year, instead of November and December 2011.

One of the key reasons that the longer timetable has been agreed is to allow the council to thoroughly review, analyse and familiarise itself with two significant supporting documents; the Infrastructure Development Plan and the Community Infrastructure Levy report. These have been received later than scheduled from consultants. 

The council has been informing all contributors of progress to date and will be confirming updated estimated timescales when the documents have been reviewed. 

Cllr Ric Pallister, Leader of South Somerset District Council explains the next steps: "These two documents are important as they inform the council of the infrastructure required to support development proposals and how it might be funded. 

"The consultants have provided their comments on this major body of work and we now have to reflect on what they are saying. It would be impractical and indeed foolish to rush the checking and analysis of them into two weeks to meet our original timescale,which we set ourselves as a guideline rather than a deadline set by central Government.

"It is important that all of our research and proposals match up and that we get this right, so we will take a little extra time to make sure we have gone through these two documents thoroughly and that we are one hundred percent ready when we present updated proposals to councillors and to the public for their comment."

"By taking longer, the council is allowing itself to see the full picture on development proposals and their implications, to make sure we are proposing growth in the right places. 

"The most important thing is to get it right and if that means taking a bit longer, so be it."     

To get the latest updates become a fan of the "PlanSouthSomerset" Facebook page or go to www.southsomerset.gov.uk/corestrategy

 MORE INFORMATION:

Process

Updated proposals (informed by comments made in the last round of public consultation, together with updated evidence and research such as the two above documents, population projections, transport surveys etc) will be presented to councillors at all four of SSDC's Area Committees in the new year.

These will be public meetings. Once the four Area Committees have made their comments, and put forward any recommendations for change, the proposals and policy amendments will go to the District Executive committee, and finally before all sixty councillors at Full Council. 

Further public consultation

The agreed version of the plan (incorporating any changes made at the public committee meetings) will then go out for another six weeks of public consultation early next year, so there are many steps and changes can be made and incorporated at any stage. 

Any comments made in the public consultation, along with the final draft of the plan, will be examined by an independent Planning Inspector, who then writes his or her report to the council. 

The plan will be adopted after the council receives the Inspector's comments. This is anticipated to be late in 2012 or early in 2013.

More information on the Community Infrastructure Levyand Infrastructure Delivery Plan/Consultants

These are required documents in support of the delivery of the Core Strategy; in other words they are some of the documents that suggest what is needed to make sure growth is sustainable (facilities, transport, etc) and how those will come forward.  

These documents need technical research or expertise. Councils do not usually employ such specialist staff therefore consultants are used to bring in that expertise only when needed as opposed to all year around.

http://www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/planningsystem/communityinfrastructurelevy/

The Infrastructure Delivery Plan includes details of the infrastructure needed to
support the delivery of the Core Strategy.

Issued: 13 October 2011