Management and Resources
Production of the Local Development Framework is a continuous process and as such there needs to be careful planning of the resources required to meet the milestones set out in the Local Development Scheme. The proposed methods of community involvement proposed in this document are aimed at balancing the need to ensure effective community involvement with the prudent use of the Council's resources.
The cost of producing the various Local Development Documents (including background studies) to 2008/9, has been estimated at £1.74 million.
This will cover:
- Consultations and community involvement.
- Sustainability Appraisal (incorporating Strategic Environmental Assessment) of the various Development Plan Documents.
- Public Examination costs.
- Publication of Local Development Documents.
- Use of consultants where necessary.
Approximately £0.8 million of these costs will be met by the Forward Planning Local Development Framework budget. The remainder will be split between two areas. The Bridlington Area Action Plan is being coordinated by the Bridlington Regeneration Team. Estimated cost for the Action Plan is £0.6 million. Funding from Yorkshire Forward will meet a large part of this cost. The remainder (£0.34 million), will be financed by the Strategic Development Control Section who are responsible for the Waste and Minerals Development Plan Documents.
Use of Consultants
The use of consultants has been identified for the following:
- Sustainability Appraisal (incorporating Strategic Environmental Assessment) of the various Local Development Documents including a baseline and scoping report.
- Waste and Mineral Development Plan Documents.
- Housing Needs and Housing Market Assessment.
- Landscape Character Assessment.
- Strategic Flood Risk Assessment.
- Bridlington Area Action Plan
The Strategic Development Control Team Leader will manage the preparation of the Waste and Minerals Development Plan Documents, which will be carried out by consultants. The Regeneration Team has also engaged consultants to prepare the Bridlington Area Action Plan. The Local Development Framework Project Team, consisting of 4 planners and 1 technician, will manage preparation of the other local Development Documents. This level of staffing will be sufficient for producing the relevant Local Development Documents except for Sustainability Appraisals which will be carried out by consultants.
Review
As the Local Development Framework is a new document, unforeseen circumstances could lead to additional funding being necessary. These may include:
- Additional costs of consultation due to a greater than expected response to certain planning documents.
- Certain methods of consultation being more costly than anticipated.
To ensure that this possibility is managed carefully, the Council intends to review the resource situation on an annual basis as part of its Annual Monitoring Report. Should additional resources be required this will be addressed through the Council's normal budgetary process. Where possible, participation exercises will be combined with other initiatives such as the Community Strategy, East Riding Compact and any other Council programs. This will ensure efficient use of resources.
Once adopted, the Statement of Community Involvement is intended to last for at least three years before a complete review of the document is necessary. The need to review the document will be assessed on an annual basis. This will ensure it remains appropriate and effective in involving the community in both significant planning applications and the development plan process. Again, the Council's Annual Monitoring Report will be the mechanism for reporting this assessment. Should there be any significant unforeseen changes (such as those listed above or others) which make an immediate review necessary, they will be considered at the earliest opportunity by the Council's Cabinet.