Agenda item

Background:

This report provided details regarding the submission of a suite of documents, including the Medway Core Strategy and associated documents, which make up the Local Development Framework, to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government subject to Full Council approval on 12 January 2012.  

The Core Strategy established the overall development quantities and broad locations for development over a period of at least 15 years. It was a strategic document with associated detail being reserved for subsequent development plan documents, however, it would provide a framework for all major planning decisions.

The report set out a number of attachments including the Core Strategy (Attachment 1) and a schedule of changes proposed to the publication version approved by Cabinet in August 2011 (Attachment 2). Attachments 1-10 had been circulated separately to all Members for both the Cabinet meeting and Council on 12 January 2012.

The Regeneration, Community and Culture Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered the report on 4 October 2011 and its comments were set out in Attachment 10 to the report.

An addendum report proposed some further limited additional changes to the Core Strategy.

A Diversity Impact Assessment had been included as Attachment 6 to the report. The Screening Form indicated that whilst it was not necessary to undertake a full assessment, there were actions around undertaking wider consultation and providing better quality information in terms of the breakdown of survey data.

Reasons:

To comply with the requirements of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended) and ensure that there is an up to date spatial planning framework for the area.