Decisions

The Joint Spatial Plan (JSP) is currently at public examination and, as is usually the case at this stage, the four West of England Councils consider that, in responding to the Inspectors’ questions, a number of changes will be needed to the JSP. These changes are summarised below.
Subject to approval, these proposed changes will be incorporated into the WoE Hearing Statements to be submitted to the Inspectors and published from 28th May. These changes will only become formal modifications to the JSP if endorsed by the Inspector and formally agreed by the Full Councils in due course. A further set of minor changes will need to be agreed ready to submit to the Inspectors on 28th June . In summary, these modifications are:

Statements for submission 28th May 2019
1. An update to the housing requirement to reflect the updated SHMA figure (102,800) and apportionment of it by UA for monitoring purposes (Policy 1)
2. Deletion of reference to contingency (Policy 1 and Policy 2)
3. Clarify that strategic alterations to the Green Belt can only made in the JSP but in Local Plans can set out detailed changes if justified (Policy 2).
Statements for submission 28th June 2019
4. Re-working of affordable housing policy to include a UA apportionment of unmet Bristol need for affordable/socially rented housing (to be made available for Bristol nominations) and submit to the EiP a commitment to prepare a series of MOUs and to clarify the role of viability testing, within an agreed timetable and as per specified heads of terms.
5. Incorporation of the updated HRA recommendations through amendments to Policy 5, 6 and 7s (SDL policies).
6. Re-naming the GI Plan a GI Strategy, and inclusion of key GI principles to be reflected in its content in Policy 5 or 6.
7. Inclusion of a list of transport measures necessary to implement the Plan and deletion of the reference to prioritisation (Policy 6).

These modifications are relatively minor and they do not re-visit plan fundamentals. They are based on the existing evidence base and other published material and are to make the plan Sound and/or legally compliant.

There are also minor clarification modifications that need to be made (arising from other questions) which will help the application of the policies and preparation of Local Plans going forward. These are.

o Provide a table to show which UA LP policies will be superseded by adoption of JSP

o Include additional text in JSP that all policies in JSP are strategic policies and that UA LPs can also include strategic policies if compliant with JSP.

That the proposed modifications to the West of England Joint Spatial Plan, are included in the Statements of Response to the Inspectors Questions to be published on 28th May 2019 and 28th June.
That the Director of Development and Public Protection is instructed to formulate the proposed changes to the policies for inclusion in the WoE Hearing Statements.

The Community Run Libraries Programme objectives were set out in the Cabinet paper E3000 dated 23/11/2017. The application meets the relevant criteria and is beneficial to the local community.

Southside Youth and Community centre is open to the public daily with a café and soft play area. There are a large number of different groups who use the Centre. The funding will be used to help the local community access library services and also the internet to get information local residents need.

White Futures is a group of agencies who work together to develop the opportunities for the community in the Whiteway area. They have consulted with local residents about what they want to see in the facility, this has informed their overall business plan. On-going engagement and consultation will continue with the local community.

An equalities assessment has been carried out on the application and further advice has been given where appropriate. A support package is offered to all applicants which include Equalities Training as well as on-going support through the libraries network.

To approve the grant of £5,000 towards the set-up of a community library facility in Southside Youth and Community Hub.