The Committee considered a
report which advised that a draft Supplementary Planning Document
(SPD) has been produced for consultation purposes for the
Littleborough Station area to support the redevelopment and renewal
of the area by providing detailed planning and design advice. The
report sought the views of the Township Committee on the content of
the Draft SPD as part of the consultation with key
stakeholders.
As set out in the National
Planning Policy Framework, Supplementary Planning Documents build
upon and provide more detailed advice or guidance on the policies
in the Local Plan. Regulations 11 to 16 of the Town and Country
Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 set out the
requirements for producing SPDs. Regulation 12 requires that
consultation is undertaken prior to the adoption of an
SPD.
In considering the submitted
report, written questions had been submitted by members of the
public present at the meeting. A submission from Mr Hooson was also
read out by the Assistant Director (Economy) as part of the
introduction to the report and a submission from Councillor Taylor
was read out by the Chair in his absence.
The written questions submitted
from members of the public included:
- Ms Barber –
asking about proposed bus movements at Littleborough Train Station
and the potential implications of pedestrianisation or narrower
roads in front of the station and links to existing pedestrian and
cycle networks;
- Mr Pickering –
asking about suggestions that properties housing long standing
businesses could be demolished;
- Mr Cropper –
asking why shopkeepers and residents had not been informed and the
intentions and process relating to the Littleborough United
Reformed Church;
There were also questions asked
in the meeting about the formal consultation process and what
format that would take; the possibility of the consultation process
being extended as had happened with the Castleton SPD consultation
recently; clarity about some of the terminology being used in the
Draft SPD and the potential use of CPO powers.
Committee Members asked
questions and made comments including;
- proposals about the
narrowing of Church Street and retaining the green space adjacent
to the Co-op;
- ensuring that local
business owners and residents concerns should be taken into account
as part of the process;
- the need to maintain
suitable access to rail replacement services;
- the need to take into
account the routeing of bus services.
The Committee were advised by
the Assistant Director (Economy) and the Portfolio Holder for
Economy and Communications that:
- The report presented
to the Committee was the start of the process and presented initial
aspirations and indicative plans to express the objectives of the
SPD to inform any consultation as part of a series of regeneration
plans being developed for land and buildings around the Train
Stations across the Borough. Having an SPD in place would assist in
attracting funding for schemes in future;
- All stakeholders were
being encouraged to submit responses, comments and suggestions. In
other parts of the Borough, stakeholder input had led to draft
SPD’s being changed following consultation;
- One of the aims of
the SPD was to make improvements to the public realm around the
Train Station;
- Transport for Greater
Manchester were involved in discussions around buses and bus
movements at the Train Station and more detailed designs would be
developed with the aim of improving pedestrian routes in the
area;
- That there had been
some limited consultation to date with some local
landowners but those who had not been
consulted earlier now had the opportunity to make their views known
and these would be taken into account as part of the formal
consultation process;
- The proposals for
Church Street related to the pedestrian routes possibly being
widened and not narrowing the carriageway;
- Car parking was an
issue raised by residents and businesses and this needed to be
looked at as part of the SPD;
- With regard to the
Littleborough United Reformed Church, potential options were being
considered, and no decisions had been made as any options would
have to be appraised through the appropriate decision making
processes.
- An SPD brought
clarity and certainty for residents, businesses and potential
investors and additional powers like the use of Compulsory Purchase
orders were only exercised by the Council as a last resort and in
very limited and specific circumstances;
- The Draft SPD would
be considered at the Communities, Regeneration and Environment
Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 28th September 2021,
following which, there would be a six week consultation period. The
format of the consultation would be considered in line with
Government Guidance applicable at that time and could include face
to face sessions if this was feasible;
- Following the
conclusion of the consultation process, the final decision on
whether to adopt the SPD would be made at a future meeting of
Cabinet.
The Chair welcomed the input
from local residents, business owners and Members of the Committee
and encouraged responses to be submitted as part of the formal
consultation when it opened.
Resolved:
That the Draft Littleborough
Station Supplementary Planning Document be noted.
Eligible for call in -
no