Notice of Motion
1. This Council believes that:
1.1. Woodland and open green spaces play a vital role in our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, as well as being an integral part of Bridgend’s biodiversity
1.2. The Covid-19 pandemic, and the nature of local and national lockdowns, has increased the need for open and accessible outdoor recreational spaces, and that these are essential for building cohesive and healthy communities which ensures the wellbeing of future generations
1.3. Local government has both a duty and a moral responsibility to limit ecological damage and negative impacts on local biodiversity
1.4. Any loss of open green space or woodland in Bridgend is hugely regrettable, and will have a negative impact on the ecology and biodiversity of Bridgend, and the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of its residents
1.5. Bridgend County Boroughs Council could lead Wales and the United Kingdom in tackling biodiversity loss, promoting the positive impacts of green open space, and ensuring all new developments are delivered in a way that improves, rather than detracts from, the accessibility and biodiversity of Bridgend’s open green spaces and woodlands
2. This Council acknowledges that:
2.1. A review is being held of the Outdoor Sports and Children’s Playing Space Audit as part of the emerging replacement LDP, ensuring the typology of open space categorisations outlined in the Welsh Government’s Technical Advice Note 16: Sport, Recreation and Open Space are followed, with particular attention to differentiating outdoor/natural green space and amenity green space.
2.2. The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 calls on Bridgend County Borough Council to:
2.2.1.“improve the economic, social, environmental and cultural wellbeing” of Bridgend
2.2.2. contribute to creating “a nation which maintains and enhances a biodiverse natural environment with healthy functioning ecosystems that support social, economic and ecological resilience and the capacity to adapt to change”
2.2.3. contribute to creating “a society in which people’s physical and mental well-being is maximised and in which choices and behaviours that benefit future health are understood”
2.3. The Bridgend Public Services Board’s Well-being Plan, of which Bridgend County Borough Council is a significant member, requires the council to:
2.3.1. ensure “communities place a greater value on their environment and more people get involved in local issues and recognise the importance of green space in wellbeing and as a prevention factor”
2.3.2. promote “healthy active people in resilient communities, volunteering, keeping young people in the local area, reducing travel to work, increased use and awareness of green spaces”
2.3.3.“work together to maximise the benefit from cultural, built and natural assets”
2.3.4.“make sure that as many people as possible know about the mental and physical benefits of spending time outdoors”
2.3.5.“preserve and protect habitats, promote sustainable management of green spaces, prevent loss of assets. Mitigate against climate change, biodiversity decline and flood risk”
2.3.6.“provide safe and accessible cultural and green assets for older people, carers, disabled people, young families and children”
2.3.7.“encourage community interaction by providing safe and accessible cultural and green assets. Communities feel connected to and engaged with their environment”
2.3.8.“promote sport and recreation linked to natural environment”
2.3.9.“reduce biodiversity decline”
2.4. The Placemaking Wales Charter, of which the Welsh Government is a signatory, calls on councils and organisations to ensure the following principles are met when planning, designing or managing new and existing places:
2.4.1.“The local community are involved in the development of proposals.? The needs, aspirations, health and well-being of all people are considered at the outset.? Proposals are shaped to help to meet these needs as well as create, integrate, protect and/or enhance a sense of community and promote equality”
2.4.2.“Places grow and develop in a way that uses land efficiently, supports and enhances existing places and is well connected”
2.5. Failure to embed the objectives and goals of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act and the Bridgend Well-being Plan will lead to the irreparable loss of vital open green space and woodland in communities across Bridgend
3. Therefore, this council resolves to:
3.1. Become a signatory of the Placemaking Wales Charter
3.2. Work to protect green open space and woodland within new and existing communities throughout the County Borough of Bridgend.
3.3. Should the loss of green space be the only option for any council building project, that a local referendum be held within the council ward where the work is due to be located to determine the community's support for such a project
Minutes:
1. This Council believes that:
1.1. Woodland and open green spaces play a vital role in our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, as well as being an integral part of Bridgend’s biodiversity
1.2. The Covid-19 pandemic, and the nature of local and national lockdowns, has increased the need for open and accessible outdoor recreational spaces, and that these are essential for building cohesive and healthy communities which ensures the wellbeing of future generations
1.3. Local government has both a duty and a moral responsibility to limit ecological damage and negative impacts on local biodiversity
1.4. Any loss of open green space or woodland in Bridgend is hugely regrettable, and will have a negative impact on the ecology and biodiversity of Bridgend, and the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of its residents
1.5. Bridgend County Boroughs Council could lead Wales and the United Kingdom in tackling biodiversity loss, promoting the positive impacts of green open space, and ensuring all new developments are delivered in a way that improves, rather than detracts from, the accessibility and biodiversity of Bridgend’s open green spaces and woodlands
2. This Council acknowledges that:
2.1. A review is being held of the Outdoor Sports and Children’s Playing Space Audit as part of the emerging replacement LDP, ensuring the typology of open space categorisations outlined in the Welsh Government’s Technical Advice Note 16: Sport, Recreation and Open Space are followed, with particular attention to differentiating outdoor/natural green space and amenity green space.
2.2. The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 calls on Bridgend County Borough Council to:
2.2.1.“improve the economic, social, environmental and cultural wellbeing” of Bridgend
2.2.2. contribute to creating “a nation which maintains and enhances a biodiverse natural environment with healthy functioning ecosystems that support social, economic and ecological resilience and the capacity to adapt to change”
2.2.3. contribute to creating “a society in which people’s physical and mental well-being is maximised and in which choices and behaviours that benefit future health are understood”
2.3. The Bridgend Public Services Board’s Well-being Plan, of which Bridgend County Borough Council is a significant member, requires the council to:
2.3.1. ensure “communities place a greater value on their environment and more people get involved in local issues and recognise the importance of green space in wellbeing and as a prevention factor”
2.3.2. promote “healthy active people in resilient communities, volunteering, keeping young people in the local area, reducing travel to work, increased use and awareness of green spaces”
2.3.3.“work together to maximise the benefit from cultural, built and natural assets”
2.3.4.“make sure that as many people as possible know about the mental and physical benefits of spending time outdoors”
2.3.5.“preserve and protect habitats, promote sustainable management of green spaces, prevent loss of assets. Mitigate against climate change, biodiversity decline and flood risk”
2.3.6.“provide safe and accessible cultural and green assets for older people, carers, disabled people, young families and children”
2.3.7.“encourage community interaction by providing safe and accessible cultural and green assets. Communities feel connected to and engaged with their environment”
2.3.8.“promote sport and recreation linked to natural environment”
2.3.9.“reduce biodiversity decline”
2.4. The Placemaking Wales Charter, of which the Welsh Government is a signatory, calls on councils and organisations to ensure the following principles are met when planning, designing or managing new and existing places:
2.4.1.“The local community are involved in the development of proposals. The needs, aspirations, health and well-being of all people are considered at the outset. Proposals are shaped to help to meet these needs as well as create, integrate, protect and/or enhance a sense of community and promote equality”
2.4.2.“Places grow and develop in a way that uses land efficiently, supports and enhances existing places and is well connected”
2.5. Failure to embed the objectives and goals of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act and the Bridgend Well-being Plan will lead to the irreparable loss of vital open green space and woodland in communities across Bridgend
3. Therefore, this council resolves to:
3.1. Become a signatory of the Placemaking Wales Charter
3.2. Work to protect green open space and woodland within new and existing communities throughout the County Borough of Bridgend.
3.3. Should the loss of green space be the only option for any council building project, that a local referendum be held within the council ward where the work is due to be located to determine the community's support for such a project.
The Notice of Motion was seconded by Councillor A Pucella.
An amendment to the Notice of Motion was proposed by Councillor R Stirman, which was seconded by Councillor T Thomas that the words “County Borough” be added after the word “Bridgend” in paragraphs 1.1, 1.3 and 1.5 and that the words “would then become a material planning consideration when decisions are made” be added to the end of paragraph 3.3.
The Monitoring Officer advised Council that the proposal for a referendum contained in the notice of motion and amendment would not be appropriate when there is a process for proposals to be subject to statutory consultation with the public. The Monitoring Officer also advised that the amendment would not be lawful as it would bind the hands of the Development Control Committee. Councillor Stirman withdrew her amendment.
The Cabinet Member Communities expressed his concern with the Notice of Motion as everything included within paragraphs 1.1 to 1.5 are already being done by the Council and are embedded in the planning system. He stated that paragraphs 2.3 and 2.3.1 are also taken into consideration by the Council as part of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act. Paragraph 2.3.3 is already part of the planning process, while paragraph 2.4 which refers to the Placemaking Charter is already being done and is the subject of consultation. He stated that he agreed with the thrust of paragraphs 3.1 and 3.2, however in relation to paragraph 3.3, he informed Members that the Council has in existence a consultation process and has direct interaction with the public and questioned what part of the Notice of Motion the Council was not in compliance with and further, questioned the relevance of a referendum as it would not have any standing and no discernible benefit.
The Monitoring Officer advised that a local referendum would be indicative and not binding on the Development Control Committee and would not carry the same weight of the statutory consultation process. The Monitoring Officer further advised that as the Development Control Committee is a statutory Committee a decision made it by can be appealed to the Planning Inspectorate.
The Group Manager Planning and Development gave an overview of planning in relation to the Notice of Motion and informed Members that the Council open spaces in the existing Local Development Plan (LDP) and will be protected in the new LDP and which would be the subject of extensive consultation and that there are key stages where the Council must engage with the community. Engagement will take place with the public on the LDP prior to it being submitted to the Welsh Government, who would then refer it to an Inspector for it to be scrutinised. The Inspector after scrutinising the LDP would refer it to the Welsh Ministers for approval prior to its adoption by the Council.
A member of Council informed Members that he believed a referendum on the proposed residential site at Tondu would have been met with a significant number of objections.
A member of Council stated that the Council already has robust processes in place and to hold local referendums would be a dangerous precedent and hamstrung the Development Control Committee.
The Cabinet Member Communities informed Members that the Monitoring Officer and Group Manager Planning and Development had advised Council in relation to the Notice of Motion and that the holding of a referendum would not hold any weight in planning decisions and to allow the Notice of Motion would raise the expectations of the public. He informed Council that he agreed with the pre-amble in the Notice of Motion and he believed that a Notice of Motion to sign to the objectives and goals of the Placemaking Charter would receive the support of Council.
Councillor Giffard in summing up stated that the wording of the Notice of Motion had been the subject of consultation with the Monitoring Officer. He stated that it was acknowledged that the Council had already signed up to many of the points highlighted in the pre-amble in the Notice of Motion. He also stated that many residents feel that their voices do not matter and that the Notice of Motion puts the power back in the hands of local people.
Following a vote by all Members present, it was:
RESOLVED: That the Notice of Motion was lost.