Agenda and draft minutes

Nominations were requested for the position of Chairman.

Councillor Peter Bedford was proposed by Councillor Barrie Pierpoint and seconded by Councillor Henry Bingham.

No other nominations were received.

Resolved:

That Councillor Peter Bedford be appointed Chairman for the municipal year.

(To be from a different authority to that of the Chairman)

The Chairman requested nominations for the position of Vice-Chairman, whom was required to be from a different authority from the Chairman.

Councillor James Avery was proposed by Councillor Bryan Alcock and seconded by Councillor Henry Bingham.

No other nominations were received.

Resolved:

That Councillor James Avery be appointed Vice-Chairman for the municipal year.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Robert Gibson and Gary Taylor (Lincolnshire County Council), Chris Mountain (Boston Borough Council) and Andrew Woolf (Substitute Member - South Holland District Council).

Where a Councillor has a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest the Councillor must declare the interest to the meeting and leave the room without participating in any discussion or making a statement on the item, except where a Councillor is permitted to remain as a result of grant of dispensation.

No interests were declared.

To sign as a correct record the notes of the meeting of the South East Lincolnshire Joint Strategic Planning Committee meeting held on 24^th February 2025.

The minutes of the meeting held on 24^th February 2025 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

(A report by Phil Norman, Service Director - Planning and Strategic Infrastructure)

The Committee considered a report and accompanying presentation delivered by the Service Director – Planning and Strategic Infrastructure, supported by the Local Plan Programme Manager, which set out the proposed approach to the preparation of a new Joint Local Plan for Boston Borough Council and South Holland District Council. The Programme Management Governance Hierarchy for Local Plan Delivery was attached as Appendix 1 and the Project Initiation Document V1 (PID) was attached as Appendix 2 within the report.

Members were advised that the Government had introduced a new streamlined system for plan-making under the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023, with regulations coming into force in March 2026. This represented a fundamental change to the plan-making process, introducing a mandatory, faster and more standardised approach.

The Committee was informed that the new system required local planning authorities to prepare, examine and adopt a Local Plan within a 30?month period, following an initial four-month “getting ready” stage and a series of formal gateway assessments by the Planning Inspectorate.

It was reported that Boston Borough Council and South Holland District Council were required to commence the new plan-making process no later than 30^th April 2027 and to submit a formal Notice of Intent by 31^st December 2026.

The presentation outlined the key objectives of the new system, including achieving full national coverage of up-to-date plans, accelerating plan preparation, increasing accessibility and transparency, and supporting the delivery of sustainable growth.

Members were advised that work was already underway to prepare for the new system, including the development of a programme plan, governance arrangements and an evidence base. The new Local Plan would guide development to 2044 and would play a key role in shaping the future of the area, including addressing strategic issues such as housing need, infrastructure delivery and flood risk.

The Committee was further advised that the plan-making process would adopt a “digital first” approach and would seek to engage Members and communities early in developing a shared vision for the area.

The Chairman invited questions and comments from Members.

Members discussed the financial implications of preparing the new Local Plan. It was confirmed that funding had been secured internally through the Councils’ budget-setting processes. Whilst external funding opportunities had been explored, the Councils had not met the criteria for previously available funding streams; however, officers would continue to monitor future opportunities.

The Committee considered the significant challenge of resourcing the plan-making process. Members noted that planning teams across the country were experiencing recruitment difficulties and queried how the partnership would secure the necessary expertise. In response, officers advised that a Group Manager for Planning Policy had been successfully appointed and would commence in August 2026, providing leadership for the Local Plan. Existing staffing included three policy officers across the partnership, supported by additional officers working across authorities, with further reliance on external consultants anticipated where necessary.

Members acknowledged the ambitious nature of the new statutory 30?month timetable and the pressures this would place on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

(A report by Pranali Parikh, Executive Director – Economic Development)

The Committee received a report and presentation from the Heritage Manager on the progress of a suite of heritage documents relating to Boston Borough and South Holland District.

Members noted that the documents, as set out within the appendices to the report, formed part of a comprehensive programme of work to preserve and enhance the historic environment across the partnership area.

The Committee considered the Boston Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan (Appendix 1), together with the proposed Conservation Area boundary map (Appendix 2), which provided an updated assessment of character and identified proposed amendments to ensure the continued protection of the area’s special interest.

Members also considered the Holbeach Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan (Appendix 3) and its associated proposed boundary map (Appendix 4), which similarly sought to review and refine the designation to better reflect the character of the area.

The Committee further considered the Spalding Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan, including the Spalding Shop Front Design Guide (Appendix 5), alongside the proposed boundary map (Appendix 6). These documents provided a detailed assessment of Spalding’s historic environment and included guidance aimed at improving the quality and appearance of shop fronts within the town centre.

In addition, Members considered the South East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership (SELCP) Traditional Building Design Guide (Appendix 7), which had been developed as a practical tool to support property owners, developers and officers in understanding and applying appropriate design principles for traditional buildings across both designated and non-designated heritage assets.

The Committee also had regard to the Spalding Heritage Strategy (Appendix 8) and its accompanying Action Plan for Transformative Change (Appendix 9), which set out a framework for heritage-led regeneration, including priorities for improving engagement with local heritage, enhancing the public realm, and supporting economic growth.

Members were advised that the appendices represented the finalised outputs of an extensive programme of work, informed by consultation, and that the documents would be presented to the respective Cabinets of the partner authorities for formal consideration and adoption.

Members welcomed the detailed work undertaken and recognised the importance of protecting and enhancing the area’s historic environment and local heritage.

Discussion was first held in relation to the Boston Conservation Area, specifically the consideration of the Rosegarth (PE21) development. Officers confirmed that this area had been assessed as part of the appraisal process; however, it had not been included within the conservation area boundary at this stage, as it was not considered to contribute sufficiently to the historic character. It was noted that the boundary could be reviewed in future should circumstances change.

The Committee considered the issue of funding in detail. Members sought clarification on the criteria for future funding opportunities and how decisions would be made regarding which projects or properties would be prioritised. Officers advised that funding was typically secured through competitive processes and was generally directed towards schemes delivering wider public benefit, such as publicly accessible buildings. It was acknowledged that this limited the availability of funding for private residential properties.

Further discussion  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

Note:         No other business is permitted unless by reason of special circumstances, which shall be specified in the minutes, the Chairman is of the opinion that the item(s) should be considered as a matter of urgency.

There was no other business.