Issue - meetings

Following the successful examination and referendum, this report seeks to make and bring into force the Chew Valley Neighbourhood Plan, so that it will be used by the Local Planning Authority to help determine planning applications within the Neighbourhood Area.  Chew Magna Parish Council is the qualifying body authorised to act in relation to the Neighbourhood Plan. The Chew Valley Neighbourhood Development Plan area comprises of the parishes of Chew Magna, Chew Stoke, Compton Martin, East Harptree, Hinton Blewett, Ubley and West Harptree.

Liz Brimmell (Chew Valley Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group) made a statement where she wished to thank the Chew Valley Neighbourhood Plan steering group and in particular the chair, Liz Richardson, without whose dedication over the last three years the NP would have not been possible to achieve. 

Liz Brimmell also expressed her appreciation for the work of the Neighbourhood Plan examiner, and welcomed that the wording of CVNP's first policy HDE1 was modified to determine that ‘...development must conserve and not harm the characteristic rural features of the area including the undeveloped landscape setting of settlements’.  The policy when adopted by B&NES would substantially protect all seven parishes within the Plan.

Councillor Vic Pritchard moved the recommendations by thanking Councillor Liz Richardson and Liz Brimmell to their work on the Chew Valley Neighbourhood Plan.  Councillor Vic Pritchard also said that Chew Magna, Chew Stoke, Compton Martin, East Harptree, Hinton Blewett, Ubley and

West Harptree Parish Council had indicated that they would like to undertake a Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) in December 2013 and the Neighbourhood Area, the first formal stage in the process, was designated by the Council on 18th March 2014.  The Plan was considered by an Independent Examiner in November 2016, who had recommended that it should proceed, with modifications, to the final stage, the referendum.

The referendum had taken place on the 16th February 2017.  In accordance with the regulations, the question posed in the referendum was: ‘Do you want Bath & North East Somerset Council to use the neighbourhood plan for Chew Valley Area to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?’  There was a 24.9% turnout of the overall Neighbourhood Area electorate.  A majority (90.8%) were in favour of using the Chew Valley NDP to help decide planning applications in the Neighbourhood Area.

Councillor Tim Warren seconded the motion by thanking everyone who had been involved in the development of the Plan.  Councillor Tim Warren highlighted the hard work of Councillor Liz Richardson and Liz Brimell on the Plan.

RESOLVED (unanimously) that the Cabinet agreed to make and bring into force the Chew Valley Neighbourhood Development Plan, as set out in  Appendix 1, as part of the Development Plan for the Chew Valley Neighbourhood Area, in accordance with Section 38A(4) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended by the Localism Act 2011).