The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED - That the Council does not support the following recommendations (as detailed in the report COGC/53/2023): a) Adoption of the Wrexham Development Plan (LDP) (Appendix 3 – as amended by the binding changes set out in the Inspectors’ Report) as the new development plan for the Wrexham County Borough administrative area. b) Approval of the Adoption Statement (with Final Sustainability Appraisal) (Appendix 4), Habitat Regulations Assessment (Appendix 5) and Equalities Impact Assessment (Appendix 6). c) Authorisation be given for the Chief Officer Economy & Planning to make outstanding typographical, grammatical, presentational or factual amendments to the Wrexham LDP and supporting documents prior to its final publication. REASON FOR DECISION (i) To uphold local democracy.
There were no apologies for absence.
Members were reminded of their responsibility, under Paragraph 11 of the Members’ Code of Conduct, to declare any interests in relation to any of the business to be transacted at this Meeting. The following declarations were made: Agenda Item 3 – Local Development Plan Councillors Hugh Jones, Jeremy Kent, Michael Morris, Beverley Parry-Jones, Paul Roberts, Ross Shepherd, Debbie Wallace and Robert Ian Williams – Personal and non prejudicial – Known to land owner. Councillor Phil Wynn – Personal and non prejudicial – Local Authority representative on the Parochial Trust who are local landowners with a pending planning application for a housing development. The Councillors remained in the Meeting taking part in the discussion thereon.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED - That the Council does not support the following recommendations (as detailed in the report COGC/53/2023): a) Adoption of the Wrexham Development Plan (LDP) (Appendix 3 – as amended by the binding changes set out in the Inspectors’ Report) as the new development plan for the Wrexham County Borough administrative area. b) Approval of the Adoption Statement (with Final Sustainability Appraisal) (Appendix 4), Habitat Regulations Assessment (Appendix 5) and Equalities Impact Assessment (Appendix 6). c) Authorisation be given for the Chief Officer Economy & Planning to make outstanding typographical, grammatical, presentational or factual amendments to the Wrexham LDP and supporting documents prior to its final publication. REASON FOR DECISION (i) To uphold local democracy.
The Chief Officer Governance and Customer submitted a report COGC/53/23 which set out the Council’s legal duty to adopt the Local Development Plan (LDP). The Chief Officer Governance and Customer introduced her report and responded to Members questions accordingly thereafter. A number of Members re-iterated some of the points that they had raised at the Extraordinary Council meeting held on 19 April 2023 (minute 58 refers) for supporting or not supporting the LDP when the report (COEP/26/23) had been considered. In considering the report, a number of Members advised that they would not be supporting the recommendations, referencing in particular their duty to withhold from making decisions that did not support the people of Wrexham. Some Members spoke in support of the recommendations and reference was made to the consequences of failing to follow the advice provided by both Statutory Officers and Counsel and to the financial costs associated with making an unlawful decision. Prior to a recorded vote the Chief Officer Governance and Customer referred to the principles of public life and the duty of a Councillor to uphold law and respect the Councils Code of Conduct (6.11). In accordance with Standing Order 18(2), a recorded vote was then taken on the original recommendation, the voting being as follows: For – Councillors Bryan Apsley, David A Bithell, Paul Blackwell, Gary Brown, Brian Cameron, Krista Childs, Dana Davies, Frank Hemmings, Corin Jarvis, Steve Joe Jones, Malcolm King, Stella Matthews, John McCusker, M G Morris, Jeremy Newton, John Phillips, John Pritchard, Fred Roberts, Graham Rogers, Alison Tynan, Anthony Wedlake, Jerry Wellens, Derek Wright and Phil Wynn (24) Against – Councillors William Baldwin, Trevor Bates, Beryl Blackmore, Annette Davies, Mike Davies, Terry Evans, Andy Gallanders, Carrie Harper, Emma Holland, Peter Howell, Jon Jolley, Hugh Jones, Marc Jones, Jeremy Kent, Claire Lovett, Tina Mannering, Becca Martin, Beverley Parry-Jones, Paul Pemberton, Ronnie Prince, Mark Pritchard, Rondo Roberts, Paul Rogers, Ross Shepherd, Debbie Wallice, Rob Walsh, Kate Wilkinson, Andy Williams, Nigel Williams and Roberts Ian Williams (30) Abstained – Councillor Paul Roberts (1) RESOLVED - That the Council does not support the following recommendations (as detailed in the report COGC/53/2023): a) Adoption of the Wrexham Development Plan (LDP) (Appendix 3 – as amended by the binding changes set out in the Inspectors’ Report) as the new development plan for the Wrexham County Borough administrative area. b) Approval of the Adoption Statement (with Final Sustainability Appraisal) (Appendix 4), Habitat Regulations Assessment (Appendix 5) and Equalities Impact Assessment (Appendix 6). c) Authorisation be given for the Chief Officer Economy & Planning to make outstanding typographical, grammatical, presentational or factual amendments to the Wrexham LDP and supporting documents prior to its final publication. REASON FOR DECISION (i) To uphold local democracy.
Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.
Declarations are read from the minutes once they are published.
The council hasn't recorded attendance for this meeting.
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