Wrthi'n llwytho
Does dim crynodeb o'r cyfarfod hwn eto. Caiff crynodebau eu hysgrifennu pan fydd y cyngor yn cyhoeddi'r cofnodion, sef ei gofnod swyddogol o'r hyn a benderfynodd cyfarfod. Maen nhw fel arfer yn ymddangos ychydig wythnosau ar ôl y cyfarfod.
Apologies for absence were received from the following: Powys County Council: Members: County Councillors A Davies and G D Jones Officers: Gwilym Davies (Head of Property, Planning and Public Protection) Ceredigion County Council: Members: County Councillor C Jones Officers: Alan Davies, (Corporate Manager, Planning Services), Sarah Groves Phillips (Planning Policy Officer)
The Chair was authorised to sign the minutes of the previous meeting held on 14-10-2022 subject to the following amendment. Page 5 – Next Steps – proposal that Ceredigion County Council provide a LDP briefing paper to the meeting. In addition, the proposal that each authority provide a progress report on the SDP / LDP (Page 6). It was understood that the three authorities would produce an SDP options paper as included on the agenda rather than a paper in relation to the LDP. This amendment was accepted by the Sub-Committee. The Summary options paper would set out where each authority was with its Replacement LDP and then possible options relating to joint working in preparation for the SDP. The Sub-Committee noted that the same amendment would be required to the Welsh Language version of the minutes.
The Sub-Committee received the revised Terms of Reference. The Strategic Programme Delivery Manager indicated that the professional membership of the members and officers of the Sub-Committee had been added following the last meeting. A Member queried paragraph 5.1 – Quorum and whether this should be at least two elected members from each Constituent Authority. The Scrutiny Manager and Head of Democratic Services clarified that the quorum required one Member (elected Member not officers) from each of the authorities including the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority to be present for each meeting to be quorate. It was also queried whether reference to “Councils” for the quorum should be amended to read “constituent authorities”. ACTION – that subject to the above amendments the revised Terms of reference be approved.
The Sub-Committee noted that the Chair had received a response from the Minister dated 1st December, 2022 which had been circulated. The response was considered disappointing but not unsurprising and it limited the options available for SDP preparation. It would be necessary for the Sub-Committee to consider the implications of the Minister’s refusal to remove the end date for the adopted Powys Local Development Plan which made it clear that the Council must continue the preparation of a Replacement LDP. The Sub-Committee noted that this narrowed the options available for commencing the preparation of the SDP.
The Sub-Committee considered the Mid Wales Strategic Development Plan Options and Risk Assessment paper. The paper was produced by officers from the three constituent authorities as a discussion paper to enable the Sub-Committee to consider the available options for preparing an SDP. The paper provided background to the SDP regulations and timetable stages which were similar to those required for the preparation of an LDP. In terms of the Replacement LDP updates, Powys had commenced the replacement LDP process in July 2022. Ceredigion had paused its process in October 2021, does not have an end date for the LDP and the Authority is is continuing to use the current LDP. Officers confirmed that the Authority had no plans to restart the LDP replacement process. The Brecon Beacons National Park Authority were in a similar position having paused the development of a Replacement LDP due to the position regarding River SACs and the phosphates constraint which was being monitored. Officers advised that it was the Authority’s intention to recommence the LDP process when this became possible. Officers also confirmed that the Brecon Beacons National Park area would also be covered by three Strategic Development Plans. The Chair asked whether any of the other three SDP regions were progressing towards preparing a delivery agreement to Welsh Government, and was advised that each region is addressing the issue in different ways. It was noted that the North Wales SDP region were probably the most advanced and it was understood that they were considering options to assemble an SDP team. The Sub-Committee discussed the section in the paper about river SACs and nutrient issues which is affecting the whole region. It was noted that there was no clarification as to whether marine SACs would be included in the future. It was noted that some investment was planned by the water companies within or Powys and the Brecon Beacons National Park to begin to address nutrient levels at some Waste Water Treatment Works. It was acknowledged that the SDP would be subject to the same constraints as individual Replacement LDPs. A detailed budget was not included in the paper but it was estimated that it would require an estimated £2.5m to prepare and adopt an SDP. It was noted that further detailed work was required to clarify future budgetary requirements. The Sub-Committee noted that the Minister’s letter dated 1st December 2022 had not indicated that additional funding would be available for the development of an SDP so that it would be for the Constituent Authorities to find funding if they wished to prioritise the development of an SDP. In terms of legal requirement, Officers advised that the CJC has the statutory duty for preparing an SDP but no dates are not set by regulations for this work to commence. The Sub-Committee was advised that the South West Wales CJC had written to the Minister to request funding for the preparation of its SDP and it was suggested that the Mid Wales CJC should follow this example and make a request of its own. It was suggested that local planning authority policy teams should not be pooling resources to prepare an SDP and instead a specific team should be created for this purpose. ACTION – draft letter to be prepared by officers for the Chair to send to the Minister regarding where additional resources might be coming from to twin track the work that needed to be undertaken. In considering the Options Paper it was suggested that Option 6 should be rejected. Looking at the other options it was suggested that Options 1, 3 4, and 5 were not practical leaving the Sub-Committee with Option 2 – Commence SDP alongside RLDPs. However, it was considered that this option was also dependent on timing and what funding could be levered in. The Sub-Committee noted that different regions were looking at different models to deliver an SDP. Rather than Local Planning Authority LDP teams coming together, it was considered that it would be better in an ideal world to establish a single SDP team which would collaborate and work with the local planning authority teams. The Chair indicated that in England staff were seconded to a regional planning team and their posts backfilled. The Sub-Committee noted that it would be necessary to consider a range of models once the position regarding funding had been clarified.
The Sub-Committee noted that arising from the previous discussion it might be too early to discuss the establishment of a regional team until a response on resources had been received from Welsh Government. The Chair suggested that there was some skeleton work which officers could undertake on a framework as to what a potential delivery agreement might look like for consideration at the next meeting. ACTION – that officers prepare a framework document in relation to the structure of a potential delivery agreement for consideration at the next meeting. It was suggested that prior to the letter being sent to the Minister that the cost of the Growing Mid Wales partnership and the core team be reviewed as it could give an indication of annual costs for the establishment of a team which could be used as the basis of the funding discussion with Welsh Government. There were similar resourcing issues in relation to other areas of the CJC such as strategic transport and economic development which might also require a wider discussion amongst the CJC about specific additional funding as well as that for the SDP.
The Sub-Committee noted that no future dates had been established for the Sub-Committee as yet. The guidance was that Sub-Committee meetings should be quarterly and it would also be appropriate for the Sub-Committee to meet prior to a meeting of the CJC. It was therefore suggested that the Sub-Committee meet again in the first week of February. 2023 ACTION – Date for the next meeting of the SDP Sub-Committee in the first week of February 2023. In terms of updates to the next meeting of the CJC, it was suggested that the following would be provided as an update to the CJC: · The number of Options considered and the subsequent focus on Option 2 · Progress in respect of the correspondence with the Minister on the end dates for LDPs · Request for additional funding to the Minister due to the constraints of the existing teams and as the Brecon Beacons National Park was covered by three SDP areas. · Consideration of an outline framework for a delivery agreement. · Recognising the duty on the CJC as balanced against the duty on local authorities to develop up to date LDPs.
There was no other business considered by the Sub-Committee.
Rhaid i gynghorwyr ddweud pan fydd ganddyn nhw gysylltiad personol â rhywbeth sy'n cael ei drafod, fel swydd, eiddo neu aelod o'r teulu. Mae buddiant sy'n rhagfarnu yn ddigon cryf i'r cynghorydd adael yr ystafell fel arfer a pheidio â chymryd rhan.
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