Secretary’s Update Report

1.0 Purpose of the Report

1.1 To update members of the Local Access Forum on developments since the last meeting of NYLAF.

2.0 Local Development Plans

2.1 One of the key areas of involvement for the Forum is to ensure appropriate engagement in the preparation of Local Development Plans. Set out in the table below is a summary of the current position in relation to each District Council area, and in relation to the Minerals and Waste Joint Plan. The information is taken from the websites of the relevant authorities and as there has been no recent updates to those websites, the information below remains the same as detailed in the last report.

Authority	Status
Craven	In Craven, the Plan was adopted in November 2019 and a provisional date of October 2023 was set for the publication of results of a formal review of the Craven Local Plan, in order to meet the Government’s requirement for a review to be completed 5 years after its adoption i.e. by Nov 2024. Most recently a number of consultations have been commenced – see list above.
Hambleton	The Hambleton Local Plan was submitted to the Secretary of State (Planning Inspectorate) for examination on 31 March 2020. The estimated timetable for progressing to the adoption of the Plan was as follows: · Estimated examination period March 2020 to February 2021 · Receipt of inspector's report March 2021 · Estimated date of adoption April 2021 The Council’s website has no further updates.
Harrogate	The council formally adopted its Local Plan with new settlement policies on 9 December 2020.
Richmondshire	The Local Plan 2018-2035 will be a single document and comprise of a review of the adopted Local Plan Core Strategy 2012-2028 and will provide site allocations, area strategy for Catterick Garrison, land use designations, revised Development Limits for settlements identified in the settlement hierarchy and detailed development policies. It will include an updated and revised Proposals Map. Examination Hearings took place in Spring 2021, followed by a ‘Preferred Options’ consultation which ran for 8 weeks from 28 May 2021 until 23 July 2021. The Council is now preparing the Pre-Submission Draft (Regulation 19). This is the final stage of the process before submission of the Local Plan to the Secretary of State. The Pre-Submission consultation was held in winter 2021.
Ryedale	Ryedale District Council are in the process of reviewing their Local Plan which covers the period 2012- 2027. A two-month ‘Call for Sites’ consultation concluded on 5 July 2021. Community consultation and consultation with stakeholders began in August 2021. Once they have a group of potential allocations, an options consultation will be undertaken in the spring of 2022 to explore the choices, informed extensively by the initial consultation, evidence base collection and analysis and interactive development of the distribution strategy. Proposed site allocations were published in September 2022.
Scarborough	Scarborough Borough Council formally adopted their Local Plan 2011/32 on 3 July 2017. A consultation on the first stage of the review (the Issues and Options stage) concluded in late 2020 and work continues on the review – see: Review of the Scarborough Borough Local Plan (2011/32) \| SCARBOROUGH.GOV.UK
Selby	A new Local Development Scheme for the period 2019 to 2023 came into effect on 17 September 2019. The scheme identified which Local Plan documents the Council would progress over the next four years, together with the programme for their preparation, and key consultation milestones. In line with the Scheme, a six-week consultation on the Local Plan Issues and Options ended 6 March 2020, and a six week consultation for the Preferred Options Local Plan 2021 concluded on 12 March 2021. A Local Plan Evidence Base Consultation took place between 3 September 2021 and 15 October 2021.
Minerals and Waste Joint Plan	The Minerals and Waste Joint Plan, prepared by North Yorkshire County Council, City of York Council and North York Moors National Park Authority, was submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination. Elizabeth Ord LLB (Hons) LLM MA DipTUS was appointed as the Planning Inspector to undertake the Examination and public hearings were held between 27th February and 13th April 2018, and 24th and 25th January 2019. Through the Examination several policies and supporting text in the Minerals and Waste Joint Plan were identified where a Main Modification was required to address concerns identified by the Inspector or other representations to the Joint Plan, or to reflect changes in evidence or national planning policy and a schedule was prepared for consultation. The Main Modification consultation started on Wednesday 21st July 2021 and closed on Wednesday 15th September 2021. All previous documents and evidence reports that underpin the Minerals and Waste Joint Plan, can be viewed online at: www.northyorks.gov.uk/examination. The Examination is a continuous process running from the date of submission through to the receipt of the appointed Planning Inspector’s Report. The representations provided relating to the Schedule of Main Modifications consultation will be considered by the Inspector while she is writing her report.

3.0 Local Transport Plan

3.1 The existing, and fourth, North Yorkshire Local Transport Plan (LTP) was adopted in 2016 and has been in place since. The LTP, which sets the policy and investment approach for highways and transport within the county, focusses on five key national policy objectives, within the local policy to manage, maintain and improve the county’s transport network and facilities. Since that plan was adopted, there have been significant changes, in terms of social policy, but also technology and the wider transport industry, which mean that some of the content of the LTP requires updating. Whilst the LTP had a strategic horizon of 2040, the delivery plan for LTP4 was shorter term, and therefore it is appropriate, particularly in light of the wider contextual changes, to consider updating the LTP.

3.2 In a report presented to BES Exec in July 2022 it was recommended and agreed that a complete rewrite of the document should be progressed. Officers are now working with City of York Officers to devise a programme, including stakeholder engagement that will enable draft documents to be in place by May 2024, when Mayoral elections are anticipated. Department for Transport are producing guidance on LTP development and this is expected later this year or early next year. The LTP delivery team will be working closely with other teams across the authority including the Countryside Access team. The LAF will be a key stakeholder and once we have a timetable for stakeholder engagement we will give the members advanced warning and arrange to attend a LAF meeting.

4.0 Regional Forum

4.1 The last meeting of the Yorkshire Humber and North Lincolnshire Regional Access Forum was held on 7 September 2022. The draft Minutes will be circulated in due course.

4.2 The next meeting of the Regional Forum will be held at Leeds Civic Hall on a date to be confirmed.

5.0 Discretionary Restriction Notices

5.1 Since the last Forum meeting two notifications of discretionary ‘28 day’ restrictions under Section 22 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 have been received, and one withdrawal of a discretionary restriction under Section 22 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.