Issue - items at meetings - Withdrawal of Core Strategy to Update and Amend

Report of the Strategic Director, Place (copy attached).

(1)         That Cabinet recommends to Council that the Secretary of State’s direction to withdraw the submitted Brighton and Hove Core Strategy from the examination process be sought for the reasons set out in Part 3 of this Report.

(2)         That Cabinet agrees that a Cross Party Working Group is set up in accordance with the terms of reference in appendix 2.

42.1         The Cabinet considered a report of the Strategic Director, Place concerning proposals to withdraw the Core Strategy from the examination process to allow essential updating and amendments in response to new circumstances relating, in particular, to emerging legislation and housing delivery.

42.2         The Chair explained that redrafting the Core Strategy would enable a more robust city wide plan to be written, which would guide the future development of the city and be a positive tool for attracting and directing investment, as well as delivering much needed jobs, high quality housing, including affordable housing, and encouraging sustainable forms of development. He advised that withdrawal would also provide an opportunity for full and effective consultation with residents.

42.3         The Chair welcomed Councillor MacCafferty, Chair of the Planning Committee, to the meeting.

42.4         Councillor MacCafferty thanked officers for their work on the Core Strategy to date and reported that circumstances had changed significantly since submission of the Strategy in April; these included the need to address the Inspector’s concern with the proposed housing delivery strategy, the publication of the Localism Bill and the comprehensive spending review. He advised that redrafting the Strategy would allow the council to submit a more robust local housing target supported by up to date evidence and update the sustainable buildings policy to raise the standards of sustainable building. Proposed options and amendments would be considered by the Cabinet in October with consultation with residents and stakeholders to follow.

42.5         Councillor Mitchell stated that it made sense to withdraw the Strategy to take account of recent and forthcoming developments and welcomed the re-introduction of a cross-party working group to consider the Strategy.

42.6         Councillor Peltzer Dunn welcomed the proposal and noted the short timescale laid out in the report.

42.7         The Chair welcomed the cross-party support for withdrawal of the Strategy.

42.8         RESOLVED – That, having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, the Cabinet accepted the following recommendations:

(1)         That Cabinet recommends to Council that the Secretary of State’s direction to withdraw the submitted Brighton and Hove Core Strategy from the examination process be sought for the reasons set out in Part 3 of the report.

(2)         That Cabinet agrees that a Cross Party Working Group be set up in accordance with the terms of reference in appendix 2.