Issue - meetings

Report DRR13/056

As a supplement to town centre policies in the 2011 London Plan, the Mayor of London had recently published a draft Town Centres Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG).  The Mayor had also published an SPG on ‘Shaping Neighbourhoods: Character and Context’ to help with the implementation of policies in Chapter 7 of the 2011 London Plan, particularly Policies 7.4 on Local Character and 7.1 on Building London’s Neighbourhoods and Communities. 

Both SPGs were available for consultation until 12^th and 31^st May respectively and in order to meet these deadlines, Members were requested to agree that the Council’s response to the two draft SPGs be prepared and submitted by the Acting Chief Planner in consultation with the Chairman of the Committee.

Having outlined the report to Members, the Chairman suggested that a response be formulated as recommended and circulated to Members for them to submit any comments or queries prior to the Annual Council meeting scheduled for 15 May.

Referring to the fifth bullet-point of paragraph 3.3 in the draft Town Centres SPG, Councillor Fawthrop was disappointed to note that the guidance focused solely on access to town centres via public transport and contained no reference to the provision of facilities for private transport users such as parking.

Councillor Michael requested that in future, when documents were too large to be appended to reports in paper form, that a web link be circulated for Members to view them electronically.  An Executive Summary containing explicit information about the subject matter should also be provided.

Councillor Joel suggested that a copy of the National Planning Policy Framework be circulated with the draft response and that Members be requested to submit comments by no later than a given deadline. 

RESOLVED that the Council’s response to the public consultation on the GLA Town Centres Draft Supplementary Planning Guidance (2013) and the GLA Shaping Neighbourhoods: Character and Context Draft Supplementary Planning Guidance (2013) be prepared and submitted by the Acting Chief Planner in consultation with the Chairman of the Committee (taking into account any relevant financial or legal implications) and be circulated for Member comments prior to 15 May.