Agenda item

Report of the Chief Planner (PTE/20/21), attached

The Committee considered the Report of the Chief Planner (PTE/20/21) on the review of the Devon Waste Plan and the work undertaken as part of the technical exercise and the conclusions drawn as a result of the evidence produced.

The Devon Waste Plan had been adopted in December 2014 and has since provided the local waste planning policy informing the determination of waste planning applications in the administrative area covered by Devon County Council.

There was a statutory requirement for planning authorities to review their local plan policies at least every five years from the date of their adoption. It had  therefore been necessary to review the Devon Waste Plan to assess if the vision and objectives of the Plan were on track to be achieved and whether the Plan’s policies were proving to be effective and remained fit for purpose.

A series of topic papers had been prepared which provided the evidence informing the conclusions of the review:

Topic Paper 1:          5 Year Review of Annual Monitoring Report data

Topic Paper 2:          Review of Consistency with National Policy

Topic Paper 3:          Spatial Strategy Review

Topic Paper 4:          Review of Climate Emergency Declaration Implications

Topic Paper 5:          Duty to Cooperate Engagement

Informed by the evidence collated through the review process, officers were of the view that it was not considered necessary to update any of the Waste Plan policies at this time.  The policies remained fit for purpose, consistent with national planning policy and provided an appropriate framework for the determination of waste planning applications across Devon.

Monitoring would continue through the normal annual monitoring process. A further review would be undertaken if necessary as a result of this process, or if there was a significant change in wider circumstances; for example, through the updating of the national planning policy for waste, or as a result of any actions or outcomes set out in the Devon Carbon Plan which was due to be published in 2022. In the interim period, recommendations (b) and (c) of this were proposed for action.

The only alternative option open to the County Council would be to resolve not to endorse the conclusions of the review, but given the comprehensive approach that had been taken, which was informed by national guidance, this would be inadvisable.

It was MOVED by Councillor J Brook, and SECONDED by G Gribble, and

RESOLVED that the work completed on the review of the Devon Waste Plan be noted and the following conclusions from the Review be endorsed:

(a) the Waste Plan’s policies remain fit for purpose and do not need to be updated at this time;

(b) a guidance note is prepared to aid interpretation of the biodiversity net gain requirements of Policy W11:  Biodiversity and Geodiversity in line with advice provided by Natural England; and

(c) further work is undertaken to establish a robust methodology for estimating waste arisings which can be replicated annually and used to inform any future update to the Waste Plan that may be required at a later date.