Issue - meetings

Report DRR15/112

Agreement was sought to the process for inviting local communities to nominate sites for assessment as Local Green Space. This included a six week consultation on the draft criteria to assess potential Local Green Space sites and a revised Draft Local Green Space Policy. The suggested approach was triggered by the decision on 15^th July 2015 that a petition to designate allotments at Bull Lane, Chislehurst as Local Green Space should be taken into consideration as a formal submission as part of the Local Plan process.

Report DRR15/112 outlined the proposed criteria for assessment which had been considered and endorsed by the Local Development Framework Advisory Panel. The Local Green Space designation would only be appropriate where it added value to existing designations.

Since including Draft Policy 8.21 on Local Green Space in the Draft Policies and Designations Document (2014), work had evidenced that the policy should be amended to more effectively reflect the aims of the designation to protect the “unique special qualities” of land designated Local Green Space. The qualities would be set out in a written statement, a “Statement of Significance” included as an appendix to the Local Plan.

Report DRR15/112 outlined the former Draft Policy on Local Green Space and the amended draft policy. The report also set out the proposed six week consultation process. The Council’s website would feature a comments form enabling consultees to comment on both the draft policy and the proposed assessment criteria. 

Sites submitted for consideration as Local Green Space designation, including Bull Lane allotments, would be assessed against the criteria.  Conclusions would be reported to the Development Control Committee and Executive to agree sites for inclusion in the Draft Local Plan as proposed Local Green Space.

RESOLVED that the following be agreed:

(1)  the Draft Local Green Space policy set out at Appendix 3 to Report DRR15/112;

(2)  the proposed criteria for assessment of sites set out at paragraph 2.2 to Report DRR15/112;

(3)  the proposed consultation process providing the opportunity -

·  for local communities to comment on the draft Local Green Space policy and the proposed site assessment criteria and

·  to submit sites for consideration by the Council as Local Green Space, as set out at Section 4 to Report DRR15/112.

Report DRR15/112

Member agreement was sought on the proposed process for inviting sites to be nominated by local communities to be assessed as Local Green Space (LGS) by the Council.  The process would include a six week consultation period on the draft criteria for the assessment of potential LGS sites and a revised Draft Local Green Space Policy.  The suggested approach was triggered by the Executive decision made on 15 July that a petition to designate Bull Lane allotments as Local Green Space should be taken into consideration as a formal submission as part of the Local Plan process.

It was reported that designation of Local Green Space could only be applied through the plan making process.  Should a suggested site already be protected, e.g. designated as Green Belt, it was unlikely that designation would bring additional benefits to the site and that it would be taken forward as local green space. 

Councillor Michael believed this to be a positive move and one which should be pursued.  However, she also drew Members’ attention to the fact that not all land would remain protected if very special circumstances were proven for development of a particular site.

Councillor Bosshard was pleased with the introduction of the LGS as a way of protecting green space for local community use.  The Executive Committee’s decision in July 2015 that a petition to designate Bull Lane allotments as Local Green Space should be taken into consideration has only just reached the six-week consultation stage; as this would need to be incorporated into in the Local Plan, officers were asked if the process could be accelerated.

RESOLVED that the Executive Committee be recommended to endorse:-

1.  the proposed local criteria for assessing potential sites for the Local Green Space designation and the revised Draft Local Green Space Policy for consultation; and

2.  the process for inviting local communities to submit sites for consideration as Local Green Space and comment on the revised Draft Local Green Space Policy.