Agenda item

[Report of the Assistant Director for Planning. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration and Planning.]The report seeks Cabinet's approval of the Council response to the Examiner's Report and recommendations on the Highgate Neighbourhood Plan.

The Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration and Planning introduced the report which set out the neighbourhood planning process to-date; summarised the findings of the Examiner’s Report; and set out the next steps of the Neighbourhood Plan process.

The Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration and Planning advised that the Highgate Neighbourhood Forum had been working closely with the Council’s planning team over several years to develop the Neighbourhood Plan which was now in the final stages of completion and approval.

The Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration and Planning thanked residents for their participation in compiling and developing the Neighbourhood Plan which included extra protection for green open spaces and strengthened the planning approach, in relation, to the development of basements which had been a cause of concern for residents.

In line with statutory responsibilities, the Council would be required to hold a referendum on the Neighbourhood Plan within 84 days, commencing from the publication of the Cabinet minutes, and this would likely be held on the 29^th of June.

In order for the Neighbourhood Plan to be adopted, it would require 50 % of residents living in the Highgate area, voting to support the plan.

RESOLVED

1.    To agree the Examiner’s recommendations to make modifications to the Plan as set out in the Examiner’s Report (Appendix A);

2.    To agree the recommendations in the Council’s decision statement (Appendix B);

3.    To agree, that the Plan, as modified in the ‘Referendum version’ of the Highgate Neighbourhood Plan (Appendix C), proceeds to referendum;

4.    That the Director of Regeneration, Planning and Development/Assistant Director of Planning, in consultation as appropriate with Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration and Planning, be authorised to make appropriate changes to the ‘Referendum version’ of the Neighbourhood Plan (including the neighbourhood area map at Appendix E) prior to the notification of the Referendum (to undertake factual updates as required or amend annotation and referencing in the Plan and minor changes to the neighbourhood area map).

5.    That the Interim Chief Executive be appointed to the post of Chief Counting Officer, pursuant to Regulation 10 of the Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) Regulations 2012.

6.    That in the event that the Plan passes the referendum (i.e. more than 50% of votes cast support the Plan), delegated authority be given to Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration and Planning to ‘make’ the Plan (i.e. adopt).

Reasons for Decision

The Council has a duty to support and facilitate the neighbourhood planning process in Haringey as required by the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) (‘the Act’). The local authority is required to take decisions at key stages in the process within time limits that apply, as set out in the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 (as amended) (‘the Regulations’).

Officers are satisfied that the Plan, as modified in light of the Examiner’s recommendations, meets the basic conditions (see paragraph 6.7) and that all other statutory requirements have been met.

Alternative options considered

As set out above the Council is required to support the neighbourhood planning process and make certain decisions within prescribed time periods, including the decision on whether to put a neighbourhood plan to referendum following receipt of the Examiner’s Report.

Officers are satisfied with the recommendations put forward in the Examiner’s Report and have no justified reason to disagree. As such, no alternative options have been considered.