Issue details

To amend the Queen Thorne Neighbourhood Area by retaining the parish of Trent but excluding the parishes of Over Compton, Nether Compton and Sandford Orcas. The neighbourhood area will subsequently be referred to as Trent Neighbourhood Area. 

Scheme of delegation 

Under the Officer Scheme of Delegation (April 2019), the Executive Director of Place has the power to ‘make a final determination as to whether to designate a neighbourhood plan area and/or make such an area a business area’. 

The Local Scheme of Nomination sets out which functions have been nominated by the Executive Director of Place and any conditions or limitations. This includes the power ‘make a final determination as to whether to designate a neighbourhood plan area and/or make such an area a business area’.  

The conditions/limitations are ‘Provided that this does not include power to make: (i) a final determination as to whether to designate a neighbourhood plan area unless in his/her opinion: 

    (A) there is insufficient time to have the matter considered by the relevant committee as part of the normal committee cycle;  

    (B) the Council is legally obliged to approve the designation; and/or  

    (C) there has been no objection to the proposal submitted to the Council within any relevant time for the submission of representations which has not been withdrawn;’ 

The Neighbourhood Planning (General) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 introduces Regulation 6A which requires the authority to determine an area application within 13 weeks from the date immediately following that on which the application was first published. As the Trent Neighbourhood Area application was first published on 4 August 2023 the Council needs to make a decision regarding the proposed neighbourhood area by the 4 November 2023. Given no objections were received in respect of the consultation held relating to the proposed neighbourhood area, the conditions within the Officer Scheme of Delegation / Local Scheme of Nomination have been met and a decision can be made.