Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Planning and Emergency.

(i)         That the New Forest Strategic Access Management and Monitoring Strategy 2025, be agreed in principle. Any minor changes to the final version of the Strategy, be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Planning and Emergency Planning in consultation with the Corporate Director for Planning.

(ii)        That the Strategy be applied within the 13.8km buffer and 15km buffer for larger sites to allow planning permissions to be granted

(iii)       That as an interim arrangement, secured funding be transferred to the New Forest National Park Authority (NFNPA) to extend their existing mitigation scheme whilst the new partnership scheme was established

(iv)      That, authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Planning and Emergency Planning in consultation with the Corporate Director for Planning for the agreement of guidance on proportional contributions for other over-night accommodation.

Reason for the decision

The New Forest Strategic Access Management and Monitoring Strategy provided a long-term solution, and temporary arrangement, expanding the existing mitigation scheme to cover affected parts of Dorset. This would enable permissions to be granted in the interim. Joining the partnership scheme avoided the need for Dorset Council to develop its own complex alternative, which would delay planning consents.

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Emergency Planning introduced the report on the New Forest Recreation Mitigation Strategy. The strategy had been developed jointly by nine local authorities to secure contributions from new residential development towards mitigation measures.

In response to questions, Cabinet was advised that the Council had a statutory duty to deliver the strategy and mitigate any development impact and planning permission could not be granted unless these impacts were addressed, as this was a prerequisite for development.

The Council could not approve development that would adversely affect the integrity of a protected habitat, and this was the core purpose of the proposed strategy.

It was proposed by Cllr S Bartlett and seconded by Cllr J Andrews

Decision

(i)         That the New Forest Strategic Access Management and Monitoring Strategy 2025, be agreed in principle. Any minor changes to the final version of the Strategy, be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Planning and Emergency Planning in consultation with the Corporate Director for Planning.

(ii)        That the Strategy be applied within the 13.8km buffer and 15km buffer for larger sites to allow planning permissions to be granted

(iii)       That as an interim arrangement, secured funding be transferred to the New Forest National Park Authority (NFNPA) to extend their existing mitigation scheme whilst the new partnership scheme was established

(iv)      That, authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Planning and Emergency Planning in consultation with the Corporate Director for Planning for the agreement of guidance on proportional contributions for other over-night accommodation.

Reason for the decision

The New Forest Strategic Access Management and Monitoring Strategy provided a long-term solution, and temporary arrangement, expanding the existing mitigation scheme to cover affected parts of Dorset. This would enable permissions to be granted in the interim. Joining the partnership scheme avoided the need for Dorset Council to develop its own complex alternative, which would delay planning consents.