| Issue 5 6 September 2004 Where are we now? If it all seems quiet on the Cattle Market front just now that's because your consultation responses are being analysed and changes made as a result. A revised planning application for the development itself and for one of the links to the historic town centre (Market Thoroughfare) are due to be submitted around the end of September. There will then be more time for the public and various interested groups to comment. The consultation period for planning applications is 28 days. But our planners here at St Edmundsbury have made a commitment that they will make sure the Development Control Committee (which will make the planning decision in a meeting open to the public) is aware of all the comments made right up to the time of the meeting. No date has yet been set for discussing the applications. While St Edmundsbury, as the local planning authority, is responsible for the statutory consultation the developers, Centros Miller, will be looking at ways of reaching a wide cross section of people to make sure their comments are taken into account. Watch out for coverage in the local media and this newsletter. ************************************ Landowners and planners Sometimes there is confusion about how St Edmundsbury can take a decision on whether to give the Cattle Market development planning permission when we are also the landowner and therefore involved in working with the developers. In effect the council has split itself into two - both among councillors and staff. Councillors who are on the Cattle Market Redevelopment Working | Party are the ones who act on behalf of St Edmundsbury as landowners. They consider information from our consultants looking at issues such as car parking and how the public venue could be run. They work with the developers on the shape of the development, comment on the designs, and consider every part of the scheme. A staff team works with the various consultants and the developer on a day-to-day basis and keeps the working party members and Cabinet informed. Within the rules of the council's Constitution the working party cannot take decisions - it makes recommendations to Cabinet or full Council, who take the formal decisions about financial matters. Working party and Cabinet members are not members of the Development Control Committee, so will not be part of the decision-making process on the planning application. A separate team of planning staff is also working on the application, making sure the statutory consultation is carried out and that all the elements needed by such a major application (such as the required studies into impact on the environment and existing town centre) are complete. This planning team will make a recommendation to the Development Control Committee about whether planning permission should be granted and then it's up to committee members to decide whether to accept that recommendation or take a different decision. ************************************ Newsletter This newsletter is from St Edmundsbury Borough Council, owner of the Cattle Market redevelopment site. Please forward it to anyone you think may be interested in the topic, or contact me if you wish to be taken off the distribution list: marianne.hulland@stedsbc.gov.uk |
