Agenda item - Proposed Submission North East Area Action Plan

Agenda item

Proposed Submission North East Area Action Plan

To receive a report from the Director of Regeneration & Environment seeking approval of the proposed submission North East Area Action Plan and supporting documents.          (Report No. 208A)

(Key decision – reference number 3866)

 

Members are asked to note:

·               the recommendations within the report were endorsed and approved for referral onto Council by Cabinet on 12 March 2014.

·         A copy of the detailed Action Plan will be available (for reference) in the Members Library, Group Offices and also with this agenda via the following link on Democracy page of the Councils website: 

·         If required hard copies will be available by contacting James Kinsella (Governance Team Manager).

Minutes:

Councillor Goddard moved and Councillor Orhan seconded a report from the Director of Regeneration and Environment (No.208A) seeking approval of the proposed submission North East Enfield Area Action Plan (NEEAAP) and supporting documents.

 

NOTED

 

1.      The recommendations within the report had been considered and referred onto Council for approval by Cabinet on 12 March 2014.

 

2.      The background to preparation of the NEEAAP, as detailed in section 3 of the report.

 

3.      The key themes within the Action Plan (as detailed below), which had been designed with the aim of achieving sustainable growth and managing the delivery of key development potential for the area in a co-ordinated way:

·                regeneration of key local centres and improvements in connectivity to the areas surrounding them;

·                provision of a range of housing;

·                improvements to community facilities;

·                provision of improved public transport links;

·                addressing the internal connectivity within North East Enfield and to other areas;

·                making more use of the river and waterways; and

·                adopting a balanced approach towards business and employment;

 

4.      The need identified, during the debate, to ensure that the NEEAP was used to support the parallel work being undertaken as part of the Northern Gateway Access Plan in relation to improving transport movement and connectivity, particularly in  terms of the retention and improvement of crossing points as part of the West Anglia Mainline Extension Project (WAML).  Members felt this was a key issue to be addressed in terms of local connectivity both within the area and in terms of wider east-west connections across the borough and sub region as a whole.

 

5.      In response to 4. above, Councillor Goddard advised that this had already been recognised within the Northern Gateway Action Plan and that as a result an additional statement would also be added to the Movement chapter with the NEEAP relating to West Anglia Mainline Extension:

 

6.      The thanks expressed to officers and other key stakeholders for their work in developing the Action Plan along with the cross party support expressed for the vision and themes within the Plan.

 

7.      The concerns expressed by the Opposition Group in relation to the wide ranging nature of the operational delegation proposed within recommendation 2.2 of the report for the approval of any subsequent changes to the submission version of the Plan.  It was felt this delegation should be at Portfolio rather than operational level, which the Cabinet Member for Business & Regeneration advised members he would be willing to amend.

 

8.      The next steps in the development of the Plan and submission process, as detailed in section 4 of the report, which would include a further period of public consultation on the proposed Submission Area Action Plan.

 

The recommendations in the report were then approved without a vote.

 

AGREED

 

(1)       To approve the Proposed Submission Draft North East Enfield Area Action Plan and supporting documents for a statutory 6 week period of public consultation and submission to the Secretary of State for public examination, subject to the inclusion of the following statement in section 4.3.3 of the Movement Chapter relation to the West Anglia Mainline Extension project:

 

“As plans to develop future transport infrastructure are prepared the Council will do all that it can to secure east west connections so as to prevent fragmentation of communities and avoid areas of isolation.”

 

(1)       The Cabinet Member for Business & Regeneration, in consultation with the Director of Regeneration & Environment or any other authorised Director, be authorised to approve as a Portfolio (rather than operational) decision under the Council’s Scheme of Delegation appropriate changes to the Submission version of the North east Enfield Area Action Plan and undertake any further consultation required, in the run up to and during the public examination process into the document, in response to representations received, requests from the Planning Inspector and any emerging evidence, guidance or legal advice.  This process will also be subject to changes of a substantive nature being considered by the Local Plan Cabinet Sub-Committee.

Supporting documents: