Agenda item

Consider report by Director Infrastructure and Environment.  (Copy attached.)

With reference to paragraph 7 of the Minute of 25 September 2020, there had been circulated copies of a report by the Director Infrastructure and Environment dealing with the representations received relating to the proposed Local Development Plan (LDP).  It sought agreement to take the representations/issues to Examination for consideration by independent Scottish Government Appointed Persons (Reporters) prior to their report back to Council for further consideration.  It further sought agreement to the proposed response to the representations / issues received on the Proposed Plan as set out in Appendix A to the report.  Appendix A to the report summarised the representations/issues to the Proposed LDP, and provided a proposed response as to the Council’s view. The report proposed resolution to those representations that did not constitute a significant change to the policies or proposals within the Plan.  It also identified where it was proposed to direct the Reporter to consider changes to the Plan that were considered to be non-significant.   Appendix B to the report set out summaries of those responses that supported/noted and/or provided comments on the content of the Plan which had not been subject to objection by other parties. Those responses would not be considered as part of the Examination, but were presented to the Council for completeness.  It was recommended that the unresolved representations along with those where the Council proposed a resolution were remitted for consideration by the independent Scottish Government Reporter(s) to the Examination. The ensuing report by the Reporter(s) would subsequently be considered by the Council before moving towards adoption.  It was also explained that in addition to Appendices A and B it was also a requirement to submit a proposed Action Programme, contained in Appendix C to the report; a Habitats Appraisal Record contained in Appendix D to the report; and a Report on conformity of the Council’s consultation processes to its published Participation Statement contained in Appendix E to the report.  It was also noted that the new Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 proposed a number of changes to the planning system and the emerging National Planning Framework, which would be a significant factor in guiding how LDPs were implemented and might have implications on the Examination depending upon when it was enacted.  Members thanked all officers involved in undertaking this work.  Members expressed disappointment regarding the proposed removal of protection from the route of the former railway leading to Hawick and Newcastleton and the implications this might have for the extension of the Borders Railway.

DECISION

AGREED:-

(a)     the responses and recommendations set out in Appendix A to the report in respect of the representations/issues submitted to the Proposed Local Development Plan;

(b)     to remit all representations/issues to the Proposed Local Development Plan to Examination for consideration by the independent Scottish Government Reporter(s);

(c)     to note the additional comments received on the Proposed Local Development Plan as set out in Appendix B to the report;

(d)     to delegate authority to the Service Director of Infrastructure and Environment to make minor edit changes to Appendices A and B to the report;

(e)     to note the Proposed Action Programme in Appendix C to the report,the Habitat Regulation Appraisal in Appendix D to the report and the Report on Participation Statement in Appendix E to the report; and

(f)      to receive the report prepared by the independent Scottish Government Reporter(s) prior to final consideration of the Scottish Borders Local Development Plan.

MEMBERS

Councillors Aitchison and Rowley re-joined the meeting.