Agenda item

A report will be published as soon as possible following the Stamford Neighbourhood Plan Referendum held on 14 July 2022

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Planning Policy presented a report which sought approval for the Stamford Neighbourhood Plan to be made part of the Development Plan for South Kesteven.

Neighbourhood Plans were introduced through the Localism Act 2011 as a new way for communities to help guide and shape future development in their locality. The Stamford Neighbourhood Plan had been produced by Stamford Town Council on behalf of its community with the plan area covering the entirety of the parish of Stamford and all wards associated with the Town Council, being formally designated on 29 March 2016.

The Neighbourhood Plan contained a variety of policies which looked to add additional local context to development proposals in the Stamford area and contained a set of objectives providing social, economic and environmental aspirations the plan hoped to achieve. It also included a policy which added further detail to the allocated Stamford North site within the District Council’s adopted Local Development Plan.

The document had been through a significant amount of community and public consultation, including the statutory six-week consultation period formally examined by a fully qualified independent inspector. The inspector found the Stamford Neighbourhood Plan met all legislative and procedural requirements and confirmed it could proceed to a referendum, subject to modifications.

The Cabinet Member put on record their thanks to the Planning Policy Team for their dedication and hard work in bringing this document forward on the Council’s behalf, as well as to Stamford Town Council’s Neighbourhood Plan team for the work undertaken in preparing it.

Of those that voted in the Stamford Neighbourhood Plan referendum on 14 July 2022, 76.5% voted in favour of adopting the document.

The Cabinet Member proposed the recommendations contained within the report, which were seconded.

The following points were made during debate of the motion:

·       Votes of thanks were expressed to Councillor David Taylor of Stamford Town Council and the Town Council’s Members who were involved in the creation of this plan, which had comprised a significant amount of work over a number of years

·       Some concerns and comments from residents had not been reflected in the final Plan for procedural reasons, however, once adopted the process of updating and improving it could commence

·       The Plan still fell short in some areas, particularly with regard to some green spaces in Stamford and environmental concerns that a few residents had expressed

Having been proposed, seconded and voted upon, the recommendations contained within the report were AGREED.

DECISION:

That Full Council:

1.    ‘Makes’ (adopts) the Stamford Neighbourhood Plan (Referendum version) so that it becomes part of the statutory development plan, and a material consideration for determining planning applications in the Stamford Neighbourhood Area.

2.    Approves the publication of the Decision Statement at Appendix 1 as part of the making of the Stamford Neighbourhood Plan.

3.    Gives delegated authority to the Assistant Director of Planning, to make minor non-material consequential changes to the plan, as necessary, and exercise all the Council’s functions and responsibilities in relation to making the Stamford Neighbourhood Plan.