Archived decisions

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1. Summary

1.1 The following decision is sought:

That the Cabinet be recommended that the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions be advised that, whereas the County Council, in principle, supports new procedures for speeding up decisions on major infrastructure development of regional and national significance, it considers that the:

(i) types of projects to be dealt with by Parliament should be restricted to a limited number of genuine national significance identified through the evolution of an integrated national spatial strategy and prescribed in legislation rather than left to the discretion of the Secretary of State;

(ii) parliamentary scrutiny should focus on issues of national need and identifying those local and community matters that, when explored in detail at the subsequent local planning inquiry, might be sufficient to outweigh considerations of national need;

(iii) 42 day period for consultation on the draft designation order is too short for organisations properly to respond to proposals which, by their nature, will have a significant impact, a three month (or 90 day) period would be more appropriate; and

(iv) the necessary parliamentary procedures should be worked up in detail and be the subject of a further round of consultation before parliamentary time is set aside to implement any measures.

2. Reason

2.1 A response is required by 22 March 2002 on the proposals for dealing with major infrastructure projects summarised and considered in the attached report to the Environment Policy Review Committee on 6 March 2002.

3. Other Options Considered and Rejected - None.

4. Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Decision Maker or a Member or Officer consulted - Not applicable.

5. Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee - Not applicable.

6. Reason(s) for the Matter being dealt with if Urgent - Not applicable.

Approved by: ................................. Date: ....................................

Councillor T K Thornber

7084/RL