Decision details

This report seeks approval of the recommendations in order to send the Dore Neighbourhood Plan (‘the Plan’) to referendum. 

The Head of Planning RESOLVES that:

1)    a formal decision statement is published detailing the Council’s response to the Examiner’s recommendations within his report (Appendix 2).

2)    following the inclusion of the Examiner’s recommended modifications into the Plan (as set out in the table at Appendix 1 of the report), it is approved that the Plan meets the Basic conditions such that it can proceed to a referendum;

3)    the referendum boundary is approved and will cover the designated Dore Neighbourhood Area only; and

4)    the Council’s Electoral Services Manager be instructed to conduct a referendum on the Plan.

Officers agree with the Examiner’s assessment of the Plan (as modified) and its alignment with the statutory requirements. As a result, if the decision maker agrees, the Local Planning Authority has a statutory duty to hold a referendum. Failure to take the Plan forward to referendum would therefore be a failure of the Council’s statutory duties as set out above.

The only alternative option would be not to proceed to referendum. The Examiner has found that, subject to modification, the Plan meets the relevant legal, procedural, and planning tests and officers agree. Therefore, there is no reason a referendum should not be held unless it is considered by the decision maker that the basic conditions have not been met.