Archived decisions

Contact: Richard Lemon, ext 6760/Peter Syddall, ext 6050

1. Summary

1.1 Portsmouth City Council has placed the Revised Deposit Draft of the Portsmouth City Local Plan: First Review on deposit until 27 May 2002. This report makes a recommendation to the Executive Member for Environment on any changes that have been made to the First Deposit Plan in response to the County Council's objections, and any new objections to the Revised Deposit Draft.

2. Procedures

2.1 The County Council was consulted on the First Deposit Draft of the Portsmouth Local Plan: First Review in April 2001 and objected on three matters; one on transportation policy and two on Minerals and Waste Local Plan matters which are discussed below. Officer comments were also sent to the City Planning Officer expressing concern about the priority given to coastal issues and clarifying the designation criteria for Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs).

2.2 Unlike the County Council's role in local plans prepared by district councils within Hampshire, when certificates of conformity with the Structure Plan are required, the role in considering the Portsmouth City Local Plan is as an adjacent strategic planning, and minerals and waste authority. At this stage of the local plan process further objections can only be made to the changes to the First Deposit Draft. If changes have been made to the First Deposit Draft which overcome the County Council's objections, these objections can be withdrawn. If however the reasons for the objections remain, then the objections stand and no further action is necessary.

3. Minerals and Waste Local Plan Objections

3.1 Both objections involved safeguarding policies for aggregates wharves. The objection to Policy NL1 for Tipner Point aggregate wharf recommended that the policy should specifically refer to the safeguarding policy in the Minerals and Waste Local Plan. The objection to Policy LH3 for additional moorings was based on concern that the moorings may adversely affect the adjacent Kendalls Wharf aggregates wharf. The objection recommend that this potential impact should be referred to in the criteria listed for assessing the proposals in Policy LH3.

4. Transport Objections

4.1 The objection to the first deposit plan on transport policy was that Policy SP7 should include a reference to the A3 Bus Priority measures.

5. County Planning Officer's Comments

5.1 No changes have been made to the Revised Deposit Draft which overcome the objections on Minerals and Waste Local Plan matters and these remain matters of concern. The objections to the First Deposit Draft therefore remain and this will be indicated to the City Council. No further action is necessary.

5.2 No other revisions raise any matters which warrant an objection to the Revised Deposit Draft Plan. Although the policies relating to habitat designations have been substantially improved and clarified, there remains some concerns on wording and designation criteria which will be passed to the City Planning Officer as technical officer comments.

6. County Surveyor's Comments

6.1 Although the A3 Bus Priority is shown in Figures 4 and 5 it is not listed in the schemes under Policy SP7. However, it has been emphasised in recent Government guidance that policies should be directly related to land use and development issues, such as identifying a land safeguarding for a transport scheme, rather than statements of intent. Hence it is considered that, given the A3 corridor bus proposals within Portsmouth are related to the use of existing road space, the reference to the A3 bus priority corridor proposals in the supporting text to Policy SP7 is sufficient. It is therefore suggested that this objection not be pursued.

6.2 At the time of the First Deposit Local Plan it was commented that there should be reference within the section on integrated transport strategy to the continuing liaison between the County and City Councils on strategic transport matters. This comment will be reiterated at officer level. Similarly, a request will be made to the City Council for liaison and dialogue on its emerging proposals for Park and Ride in the wider strategic context of Park and Ride in the South Hampshire corridor.

6.3 No other revisions raise any transport matters which warrant an objection to the Revised Deposit Draft Plan.

Recommendation

That it be a RECOMMENDATION to the Executive Member for Environment that:

(i) the objections to the First Deposit Plan on Minerals and Waste Local Plan matters are maintained;

(ii) no objection be made to the Portsmouth City Local Plan: First Review - Revised Deposit Draft;

(iii) the objection to Policy SP7 raised at the time of the First Deposit Plan not be pursued.

7164/RLn/PCS