Issue - meetings

To consider a report from the Portfolio Holder for Planning.

Decision

(a)       That the findings of the Landscapes Review be noted

Note: It is important to stress that Dorset Council was unable to contribute to the Review’s “call for evidence” as it was only created on 1 April 2019.

(b)       That council would engage with the Government concerning its response to the Landscapes Review particularly in regard to any proposal which would change the current designation and landscape management arrangements within Dorset.

(c)        That the contents of the desktop study set out in Appendix A be noted;

(d)       That having committed to put in place a new local plan by 2024 this should remain the Council’s highest planning land use priority and that the council should not be distracted from this by any reconsideration of statutory planning powers and responsibilities in Dorset following the Landscape Review. 

The Landscapes Review or Glover Report was launched in May 2018.  During the period of October and December 2018 there was a call for evidence, but at that time Dorset Council was not in a position to contribute to the review as it had not been created.  Last year there was a government review to assess if there was scope for the current network of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and national parks to be expanded.

He further reported that Glover Report focused on examples of best practice including Dorset AONB which was held up as an exemplar. He also agreed that AONB’s should be statutory consultees in planning as their contribution was invaluable.

Through the Local Government review process Dorset had significantly reduced the level of local government bureaucracy by creating two unitary councils to replace the previous two-tier systems.  At this time Dorset Council was committed to putting in place a new local plan by 2024, this was a high priority for the council, significant resources would be invested in the development of the plan leaving little capacity to consider any alternative arrangements until this had been complete.

Cllrs B Ezzard, N Ireland, S Christopher and P Barrow all addressed Cabinet referencing some benefit to Dorset if there was a National Park, including additional funding opportunities, tourism and the economy.

In response the Portfolio Holder agreed that there was much to celebrate through the report, but he suggested that Dorset Council should await the response of Government to the Landscapes Review and in particular to consider what proposals government might wish to make regarding the future of AONBs and national parks.

In the meantime, he asked Cabinet to uphold the Council’s commitment to produce a Local Plan by 2024 and support the reports recommendations.

Decision

(a)       That the findings of the Landscapes Review be noted

Note: It is important to stress that Dorset Council was unable to contribute to the Review’s “call for evidence” as it was only created on 1 April 2019.

(b)       That council would engage with the Government concerning its response to the Landscapes Review particularly in regard to any proposal which would change the current designation and landscape management arrangements within Dorset.

(c)        That the contents of the desktop study set out in Appendix A be noted;

(d)       That having committed to put in place a new local plan by 2024 this should remain the Council’s highest planning land use priority and that the council should not be distracted from this by any reconsideration of statutory planning powers and responsibilities in Dorset following the Landscape Review.