Please note:

Appendix 1 – Printed copies of this document have been previously circulated to Members of the Development Control Committee who have retained this for the meeting.

Appendix 2 – Electronic copies of this document have been included on the agenda. Printed copies are available to the public and Elected Members as stated in the report.

The Group Manager Development reported on the outcome of the consultation exercise on the draft Biodiversity and Development: A Green Infrastructure Approach Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) and the draft Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation Review (SINC) and sought the Council’s agreement of the proposed amendments to the draft document and adopt the amended versions as SPG and an evidence base to the Bridgend Local Development Plan (LDP).

              He stated that the Development Control Committee at its meeting on 12 December 2013 had approved draft SPG 19 - Biodiversity and Development: A Green Infrastructure Approach and the Draft Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) Review as the basis for public consultation and authorised officers to make appropriate arrangements for public consultation and to receive a further report on the outcome of the consultation process.

              The Group Manager Development reported that the Development Control Committee at its meeting on 29 May 2014 resolved to consider the representations received during public consultation, endorse the suggested reasoned responses, decisions and changes to the SPG and SINC and recommended that Council adopt the document as Supplementary Planning Guidance and an evidence base to the adopted Bridgend Local Development Plan.

              He reported that by the end of the eight week public consultation period, eleven individuals and external organisations had submitted comments on the draft SPG and SINC Review (seven to the SPG and four to the SINC Review).  He stated that two of the representations were received after the consultation period had ended.  In response the Council had produced consultation reports to the representations received and which outlined any changes made to the documents.  He informed Members that the late representations had been considered and

responded to in the consultation report, although Council was not obliged to endorse those representations.

The Group Manager Development reported that Council was requested to consider each of the representations received, approve the suggested reasoned

response, decisions and actions and proposed changes to the document, then adopt the SPG and SINC report for publication.

The Group Manager Development also informed Council that the SPG was the first of a suite of ‘Green Infrastructure’ led SPG which would collectively contribute to driving forward this important agenda.  He stated that the SINC review is intrinsically linked to the SPG as an evidence base and will also inform the Local Biodiversity Action Plan Review.

            Members of the Council commended the officers on the clarity of the Supplementary Planning Guidance and Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation Review documents.

RESOLVED:         That Council:-

                        (1)   Considered the representations received and approved the suggested reasoned responses, decisions and changes to the draft Biodiversity and Development: A Green Infrastructure Approach Supplementary Planning Guidance.

                        (2)   Considered the representations received and approved the suggested reasoned responses, decisions and changes to the draft SINC Review.

                        (3)   Approved the Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) Review as an evidence base to the adopted Bridgend Local Development Plan and relevant SPG.

                        (4)   Adopted SPG 19 - Biodiversity and Development: A Green Infrastructure Approach (as amended) as Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) to the adopted Bridgend Local Development Plan.