Agenda item

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning seeking the adoption of the Joint Core Strategy, with the recommended main modifications, as part of the statutory Development Plan for Gloucester City.

42.1                Council considered the report of the Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning which sought a resolution from Members to adopt the Joint Core Strategy, with the recommended main modifications, as part of the statutory Development Plan for Gloucester City.

42.2                Councillor Organ stated that preparation of the Strategy, which would provide the vision and planning framework to meet the development needs of Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury until 2031, had been a lengthy process over many years and he believed that outstanding issues in the inspector’s report could be addressed by the main modifications. He thanked the Officers and Members involved for their hard work and he strongly recommended that the Strategy be adopted.

42.3                Councillor Pullen also thanked Officers and stated that the Labour Group would support adoption of the Strategy and the main modifications which he believed would be in the best interests of the City.

42.4                Councillor Hilton believed that the process had been a good example of three authorities working together on a complex issue. There had been a number of public consultations and the Inspector had taken three years to produce her report. He hoped that Members would be unanimous in their support for the strategy before it was considered by Cheltenham and Tewkesbury.  He believed that Officers should consider development at Highnam as it was above the flood plain and well related to the City. He reminded Members that adoption would facilitate the Council in resisting inappropriate development.

42.5                Councillor Organ thanked Members for their comments and support.

42.6                RESOLVED to

(1)  Adopt the adoption version of the Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Joint Core Strategy at Appendix to the report as part of the City Council’s statutory development plan;

(2)  Adopt the amendments (maps and text) to the adopted policies map as set out in the modified and new maps within Appendix 2 to the report;

(3)  Delegate authority to the Managing Director, in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning, in collaboration with Cheltenham Borough and Tewkesbury Borough Councils to make minor spelling, grammatical, cross-referencing or typographical errors and presentational changes (including the addition of a Foreword) to the Joint Core Strategy and accompanying maps prior to publication.