Agenda item

Report of the Director of the Built Environment.

The Sub-Committee received a report of the Director of the Built Environment

updating on progress with the Local Plan review.

Officers advised that work commenced on a review of the adopted City of London Local Plan in early 2016 and public consultation took place on Issues and Options, the first stage of the review process, in the autumn of 2016, the results of which were reported to the Grand Committee early in 2017.

Work was now underway on the preparation of a full Draft Local Plan for public consultation early in 2018 and officers were seeking to agree the nature and timing of the Sub-Committee’s involvement in the policy drafting process, together with the Sub-Committee’s views on the structure of the Draft Plan, the areas which should be subject to spatial policies and on the key policy directions for the new Plan.

Members expressed concern regarding the relatively low level of response to the public consultation and officers advised that, on past experience, there was likely to be a greater level of response when the Draft Plan was published, as this was the stage when individuals and organisations could see exactly what the City Corporation was proposing and comment accordingly.

Officers further advised that they were keen to explore some more innovative forms of consultation at the Draft Plan stage with the aim of reaching out to a wider audience, and a report setting out a proposed consultation strategy for the Draft Plan would be presented to a future meeting.

Members discussed the broad approach that it wished to take to the task of scrutinising the emerging Draft Local Plan and it agreed that the structure should be based on the structure of the Draft Corporate Plan.  Members also reached some initial conclusions about the areas of the City which should be subject to spatial policies in the Draft Local Plan and potential policy approaches which could be taken in relation to office development and the protection of offices in the Draft Local Plan.

Arising from the discussion the Sub-Committee agreed the following:

·         That the level 2 approach be adopted and the Sub-Committee consider the detailed wording of all the policies in the Draft Plan but not the supporting text, with the exception of some issues which might require the level 3 approach of considering the supporting text as well;

·         That the Local Plan should align with the Corporate plan as well as statutory obligations;

·         That ‘A Flourishing Society’ be the first strategic objective;

·         That ‘Key City Places’ be referred to as ‘Key Areas of Change’;

·         That the Key Areas of Change suggested in the report be agreed but that officers explore the possibility of extending Blackfriars to include the area south of Fleet Street, and Barbican and Smithfield to include the Golden Lane Estate;

·         That consideration be given as to whether there should be a policy for the west of the City;

·         That the key policy issues of office development and protection of offices also include reference to the local infrastructure and new ways of working;

·         That rather than emphasis being placed just on what’s viable, more emphasis be placed on the intended use and design of buildings.

·         That consideration be given to arranging future meetings of the Sub-Committee in a workshop format, potentially inviting key stakeholders when issues of interest to them are being discussed.