Contact: Stuart Jarvis, Deputy Director of Environment (01962) 846124 e-mail: [email protected]

1. As part of its Hampshire Minerals and Waste Development Framework, the County Council is required, by statute, to produce a Statement of Community Involvement (SCI). This explains how local communities and stakeholders are to be involved in the plan making process and how the County Council will publicise and deal with planning applications. It sets out the steps that the County Council will take to facilitate involvement, including meeting current statutory consultation requirements.

2. In May 2005, the Cabinet approved the draft SCI for preliminary consultation purposes and the first phase of a comprehensive statutory public consultation took place between 14 June 2005 and 27 July 2005. There were 73 responses to the consultation from a wide variety of stakeholders. These ranged from comments on specific issues through to those of presentation and clarification of terms used. These comments have been carefully considered and used as appropriate to influence the content of the final SCI. The responses to the consultations were initially considered by the Environment Policy Review Committee on 8 September 2005 when reconsideration of the issues of neighbour notification and the consultation period for planning applications was recommended. The SCI was revised to accommodate these comments and was subsequently approved by Council on 29 September 2005 for submission to Government.

3. The SCI was submitted to Government on 1 November 2005. This was followed by a further six week period of consultation. There were 69 responses to this consultation from a wide range of stakeholders, 38 of which were in support. These again ranged from comments on specific issues - such as the range of consultees and role of neighbour notification and liaison panels - through to those of presentation and clarification of terms used. These comments were considered by the appointed Planning Inspector in a written representations Public Examination into the `soundness' of the SCI.

4. The Inspector's report which is binding on the County Council, has now been received. It details that the SCI is sound provided nine recommended changes are made. The Inspector's recommendations seem reasonable and sensible, and as the report is binding on the Council, the SCI has now been amended. A revised copy has been made available in the member's room together with a copy of the Inspector's recommendations..

5. Approval is now sought to formally adopt the SCI, as amended by the Inspector's recommendations, in accordance with Regulation 36c of the Town and Country (Local Development)(England) Regulations 2004, as a basis for the plan-making and development control processes.

RECOMMENDATION

That the County Council adopts the Statement of Community Involvement, part of the Hampshire Minerals and Waste Development Framework, as amended by the Inspector's report, in accordance with Regulation 36c of the Town and Country (Local Development)(England) Regulations 2004, as a basis for the plan-making and development control processes.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1. Published works.

2. Documents which disclosure exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.