Issue - meetings

Councillor Porter introduced the report and highlighted that part of Swanmore Parish covered by the VDS was within the South Downs National Park and as such, the National Park Authority would also be required to adopt the document.

At the invitation of the Leader, Councillor Pearson spoke in support of the report and emphasised that it would provide a useful guide for any proposed future development within the parish.  He thanked the Parish Council for their work in producing the revised VDS.

In response to questions, it was confirmed that the officer team had been involved at various stages in assisting the Parish Council in preparing the VDS.  The importance of local communities contacting the Council for advice at an early stage in the local design statements development process was highlighted and attention was drawn to guidance on Local Design Statements which was available on the Council’s website.  Councillor Porter requested that this guidance be reviewed to ensure it took account of the recommendations agreed under CAB3171 above.  To enable this, Cabinet agreed to an additional fourth recommendation as set out below.

Cabinet agreed to the following for the reasons set out above and outlined in the Report.

RESOLVED:

1.         That the Design Guidelines/Policies in the Village Design Statement for Swanmore,  as set out in Appendix 2 of Report CAB3151, be adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document, for that part of the parish within Winchester District.

2.         That the 2001 Swanmore VDS be revoked as SPD following the adoption of the 2019 SPD.

3.         That the Strategic Planning Manager be granted delegated authority to make minor factual corrections and editing, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Built Environment and Wellbeing, to finalise the Design Guidelines/Policies in the Village Design Statement for Swanmore, prior to  publication on the Council website.

4.         That the guidance for local communities to support them to undertake a Design Statement be reviewed to ensure best practice advice with respect to sustainability.