Report by Cabinet Member for Assets, Planning and
Housing
TO THE MEETING OF Full Council - 21 March 2007
Tender
documents have been sent to three international property services firms
(referred to in last months report) inviting them to quote for both the
Council’s Operational Property Project and a Joint Strategic Property Review
with our asset Partners, the PCT and Police.
The company
that is appointed will be charged with identifying opportunities for
co-location and the replacement or disposal of unfit-for-purpose
buildings. It will also have operational
responsibility for a number of high priority projects against specified
targets.
The time by
which the Unitary Development Plan will be replaced by the Island Plan remains
obscure. Officers are currently working
on a revised draft Core Strategy for submission to the Government Office South
East. Area Action Plans for the
A written
procedure for pre-planning application consultation between ward councillors,
planning officers and applicants is being produced for formal approval. This is intended to identify and resolve a
significant proportion of local problems before applications are submitted
formally.
Further
training will be provided to members of the Development Control Sub Committee
on matters pertaining to its quasi-judicial duties and the conduct of
proceedings.
Strengthening
professional planning resources to handle major applications, enforcement
policy and planning control is a management priority.
The draft
strategy has been shared with a number of stakeholders, prior to submission to
the Cabinet. Reaction has been generally
positive, with some doubts expressed about the availability of land to meet
targets and the consistency of planning guidance and decisions. Rural affordable housing provision has been
highlighted as an important requirement.
A report on
Pan Urban Development will be brought to Cabinet at its forthcoming meeting in
Pan.
Cllr George
Brown
Cabinet Member
for Assets, Planning and Housing