Report of the Head of City Development.

Following approval from CEB in June 2013 to formally consult on the Oxpens Masterplan Supplementary Planning Document, (SPD), City Executive Board is asked to consider proposed changes to the document arising from public consultation, and then to agree to its adoption.

The draft Oxpens Masterplan SPD will supplement existing plans by explaining how the policies can be interpreted. It will add a further degree of detail and set out the Council’s aspirations for the area but will not introduce any new policies.

City Executive Board is recommended to:-

(1)  Adopt the Oxpens Masterplan Supplementary Planning Document as modified in the form set out in Appendix 5;

(2)  Endorse the accompanying Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Combined Screening and Scoping Report;

(3)  Authorise the Head of City Development to make any necessary editorial corrections to the document prior to final publication, in consultation with the Board Member.

The Head of City Development submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended).  The Board also had before it a Scrutiny report (previously circulated, now appended) on the subject.

The Chair of the Scrutiny Committee spoke to the Scrutiny report.  Councillor Fooks addressed the meeting.

The Chair of the Scrutiny Committee said, in summary, that the Committee had generally welcomed the Plan.  He referred to the list of items in the report about which some Scrutiny members had concerns.

Councillor Fooks expressed concerns about the Masterplan.  In summary she felt that it missed the opportunity to achieve a necessary balance between housing and jobs.  More housing was needed in the City and the Plan should recognise this.  Councillor Fooks also had concerns about traffic impacts. 

The Leader said that it was indeed important to get the balance of land uses right.  The Plan was illustrative of development but was not firm in terms of the balance of land uses

Resolved to:-

(1)  Adopt the Oxpens Masterplan Supplementary Planning Document as modified in the light of consultation in the form set out in Appendix 5 to the report subject to the ice rink being referred to in Chapter 6 of the Document;

(2)  Endorse the Strategic Environmental Assessment Combined Screening and Scoping Report that formed Appendix 3 to the report;

(3)  Authorise the Head of City Development in consultation with the Board Member to make any necessary editorial corrections to the Supplementary Planning Document prior to final publication.