Agenda item

To submit a report by the Director of Place and Community Well-being.

The report of the Director of Place and Community Well-being incorporating the Joint Local Development Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) covering the period from August 2017 to March 2019 was presented for the Executive’s consideration.

In the absence of the Portfolio Member for Planning and Public Protection, the Portfolio Member for Finance reported that councils are required to submit an Annual Monitoring Report on the implementation of the strategy and policies of the Local Development Plan between 1 April and 31 March of the previous year to Welsh Government. Usually the first annual monitoring report needs to be published by 31 October in the year following adoption of the local development plan; however, this cannot take place when there are less 12 months between the date of adopting the plan and 31 March of the following year. In such cases, it should be submitted by 31 October of the following year. As the Gwynedd and Anglesey Joint Local Development Plan was adopted at the end of July, 2017 this is the first opportunity to present an annual monitoring report to Welsh Government which covers the implementation of the plan over a full financial year. The Portfolio Member added that the AMR provides a summary of the Plan’s performance over the period against a series of indicators within the Monitoring Framework (set out in Chapter 7 of the JLDP)  that are used to monitor the effectiveness of the Plan and its policies. The findings of the first AMR show that on the whole these indicators are performing in accordance with expectations and that this being so he was happy to propose the report to the Executive with the recommendation that the Chief Planning Officer be authorised to make any final editorial changes, amendments and/or corrections to the report before it is submitted to Welsh Government.

The Chief Planning Officer confirmed that the key findings of this the first AMR are positive and the evidence gathered shows that the policies of the Joint Local Development Plan are succeeding in delivering on the strategic objectives of the Plan. The AMR will provide the baseline evidence on the indicators for comparison in future years which will enable the Council to identify any trends which is a key point this being a cyclical and iterative process over a period of many years which should identify challenges and opportunities as well as potential methods to review and adopt local policies. Given the evidence provided by the AMR therefore, it is not considered that the Joint Development Plan requires a full or partial review at this stage for the reasons set out. The Plan’s policies are being implemented in line with expectations and the Plan is currently achieving its objectives.

Councillor G.O.Jones, Chair of the Partnerships and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee reported on the Committee’s deliberations on this matter from its 24 October, 2019 meeting  highlighting that the Committee had discussed the importance of the monitoring framework and the AMR in assessing the effectiveness of the JDLP; the arrangements for ensuring the robustness of the AMR and its compliance with statutory requirements, and the policy framework for developing housing in response to local need and for ensuring an adequate supply of affordable housing. The Committee was happy to recommend the AMR to the Executive as providing a foundation for future monitoring of the JLDP; as confirming that the JLDP is performing appropriately and as providing evidence that no individual planning policy is failing to meet its objectives; however, the Committee did resolve also to invite officers to consider ways of preparing a more visual and easy to read version of the AMR for the next monitoring year.

The Executive acknowledged the work that had gone into preparing the Annual Monitoring Report and welcomed its findings. The Executive noted the points made by Scrutiny and sought clarification of the Officer whether making the Annual Monitoring Report more readable including more detailed maps, was something the Officers could address. The Chief Planning Officer advised that the Annual Report has to comply with a prescribed format in terms of documenting all the required indicators but that officers would look at ways of providing a form of supplement and/or summary to the report that is easier to read.

It was resolved to accept the Joint Local Development Plan Monitoring Report August, 2017 to March, 2019 and the findings therein, and to authorise the Chief Planning Officer to make any final editorial changes/amendments and/or corrections to the document ahead of its submission to Welsh Government by 31 October, 2019.