The Senior Planning Officer reported on the outcomes 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 (SINC) Review.  He also sought agreement of the proposed amendments to the draft document and recommended that Council adopts the amended versions as SPG as an evidence base to the Bridgend Local Development Plan.

            The Senior Planning Officer reported that the Committee at its meeting on 12 December 2013 resolved to approve Draft SPG - Biodiversity and Development: A Green Infrastructure Approach Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) 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 report further on the outcome of the consultation process.

            He reported that an 8 week public consultation period was held between 19 December 2013 and 6 February 2014 and by the end of the consultation 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, consultation reports had been produced which provide the Council’s response to the representations received and which outline any changes made to the documents.  He informed the Committee that the late representations had been considered and responded to in the consultation report, although the Council was not obliged to consider these representations. 

            The Senior Planning Officer summarised the main areas of change to the documents arising from the public consultation responses and requested the Committee consider each of the representations received, approve the suggested reasoned response, decisions and actions and proposed changes to the document and recommend that Council adopts it for publication.

            The Senior Planning Officer informed the Committee that the Biodiversity and Development: A Green Infrastructure Approach Supplementary Planning Guidance had been shortlisted for a Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Planning Excellence Award, with the award ceremony taking place on 23 June 2014. 

            The Senior Planning Officer also informed the Committee that the SPG was the first of a suite of ‘Green Infrastructure’ led SPG which will 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. 

            RESOLVED:               That the Development Control Committee:

(1)  Approved the suggested reasoned responses, decisions, and changes to the draft Biodiversity and Development: A Green Infrastructure Approach Supplementary Planning Guidance contained in Appendix 1.

(2)  Approved the suggested reasoned responses, decisions, and changes to the draft SINC Review. 

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

(4)  Recommended that Council adopts SPG19 – Biodiversity and Development: A Green Infrastructure Approach (as amended) as Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) to the adopted Bridgend Local Development Plan.