Agenda and draft minutes

To note the names of apologies given and deputy members who are attending the meeting in place of appointed members.

Apologies for the meeting were noted as above.

To receive any disclosure of interests from Councillors or Officers in matters to be discussed.

Note: Councillors are reminded of their obligations to declare disclosable pecuniary interests (DPIs), other registerable interests (ORIs) and non-registerable interests (NRIs) in accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct.

If you require advice, please contact the appropriate Democratic Services Officer, prior to the meeting.

Councillor Wallace declared a disclosable pecuniary interest due to his

role as a Hampshire County Councillor. However, as there was no

material conflict of interest, he remained in the room and spoke under the

dispensation granted by the Audit and Governance committee.

Councillors Tod and Porter advised that whilst they were not members of the committee, they wished to advise that they were both members of Hampshire County Council and held a dispensation granted by the Audit & Governance Committee in relation to that role.

No announcements were made.

That the minutes of the meeting be signed as a correct record.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 4 March 2026 be approved and adopted.

To receive and note questions asked and statements made from members of the public on matters which fall within the remit of the Committee.

Members of the public and visiting councillors may speak at the committee, provided they have registered to speak three working days in advance.  Please complete this form (https://forms.office.com/r/Y87tufaV6G ) by 5pm on 11 March 2026 or call (01962) 848 264 to register to speak and for further details.

Councillor Caroline Horrill and Councillor Danny Lee addressed the committee regarding item 6, Adoption of the Winchester District Local Plan 2040 and the Preparation of the Local Plan 2044 and a summary of their contributions were captured within the agenda item below.

RECOMMENDATION:

It is recommended that scrutiny committee consider the attached report, ref CL177 which is to be discussed by cabinet at its meeting on the 18th of March 2026 and considers whether there are any items of significance to be drawn to the attention of Cabinet.

Councillor Caroline Brook, Chairperson of the Committee, provided an introduction concerning the scope of discussion which included the following:

1. The local plan had completed its independent examination by a government-appointed planning inspector and was found sound, subject to a number of main and additional modifications.
2. The council faced a limited legal choice to either adopt the plan exactly as modified or choose not to adopt it. Amending policy content, site allocations, settlement boundaries, or housing numbers was not possible at this stage.
3. Adopting the local plan remained a major corporate decision that determined development locations, influenced infrastructure provision, affected environmental outcomes, and shaped exposure to planning appeals.
4. The committee's role was to provide assurance and accountability by considering whether a robust and transparent process was followed since the Regulation 19 stage, and whether the council fully understood the implications of adopting or not adopting the plan.

Councillor Jackie Porter, Cabinet Member for Place and Local Plan introduced the report, ref CL177 which set out proposals for the Winchester District Local Plan 2040 and the Preparation of the Local Plan 2044, (available here). The introduction included the following points.

1. The local plan protected the district's unique natural and historic assets from damaging development and would play a key role in the council's aspiration to be a carbon-neutral district by 2030.
2. The report contained two parts: the adoption of the local plan to 2040, and the agreement to commence preparation for the next local plan to 2044.
3. Further minor corrections to the report were noted. These included updating recommendation 2 to reflect that the Full Council meeting is now scheduled for 24 March 2026, and amending paragraph 1.3 to remove the phrase ‘and prioritises brownfield sites over greenfield land,’ in line with the Inspector’s recommendations.
4. The preparation for the 2044 plan would require a significant amount of work within a compressed 30-month timeframe.

Councillor Caroline Horrill addressed the committee as summarised briefly as follows. She asked how the process would work for the new 2044 plan given the much shorter 30-month timeframe. She inquired about how the council proposed anticipating changes from the recent National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) consultation in the scoping of the next plan. Furthermore, she sought clarification on the future status of the existing supplementary planning documents (SPDs) and Village Design Statements (VDS), and whether the planning department would continue to support similar community-led documents going forward.

Councillor Danny Lee addressed the committee as summarised briefly as follows. He raised questions regarding the likelihood of a Judicial Review challenge to the 2040 plan and its potential impact on the preparation of the 2044 plan. He expressed concerns about the compressed 30-month timetable for the new plan, highlighting potential risks regarding evidence capability, staff capacity, and public consultation fatigue. He also suggested that it would be wise to include the new shadow unitary authority in the May 2027 consultation to avoid future renegotiation of strategic elements.

These points were responded to by Julie Pinnock, Corporate Head of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

4 Jun 2026 6.30 pm

7 Sep 2026 6.30 pm

12 Nov 2026 6.30 pm

9 Feb 2027 6.30 pm

3 Mar 2027 6.30 pm

The dates for meetings of the committee for the 2026/27 Municipal year were noted.