Day 42 summary: Monitoring, Review and Format of the South East Plan: 30 March 2007

This is a brief note of the EiP proceedings and key points as perceived by observers from the South East England Regional Assembly. It is for information only and is not intended as a full record of EiP sessions.

The text below has not been agreed by other EiP participants.

The morning session dealt with matters 10B.1, 10B.2, 10B.3 and 10B4. The session focused on debating the appropriateness of monitoring indicators towards achieving the objectives set out in the South East Plan (the draft Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS)).

Discussions focused on:

• Whether the proposed means of measuring progress towards achieving the draft RSS objectives are appropriate, including the proposed monitoring indicators
• How to strengthen the monitoring framework at sub-regional level
• Whether the draft Plan is sufficiently explicit on how the plan, monitor and manage approach is intended to work
• Whether the draft Plan is clear enough about other circumstances that would trigger its review
• Whether there will be further need to re-balance the relationship between the regional and sub-regional policy components of the draft Plan.

Issues that arose from the debate were:

• The relationship between the Regional Monitoring Framework and the draft Plan
• The need for greater synergy between monitoring and regional level strategies (ie the Regional Housing Strategy (RHS) and Regional Transport Strategy (RTS))
• The need to consider contextual indicators and periodic evaluation of monitoring indicators
• The need to consider focusing on sectoral targets to monitor climate change including new monitoring indicators for green infrastructure
• The importance of exploring ways to effectively monitor behavioural change
• The need to consider housing indicator targets in the light of Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3) Guidance
• The role and responsibility of local authorities in monitoring indicators
• The effectiveness of the plan, monitor and manage approach in controlling development on previously developed land (PDL) and greenfield sites
• The conformity role of the Regional Assembly and joint working with local authorities
• The role of Annual Action Plans (AAPs) in identifying specific actions to address policy objectives and targets
• Consideration of the merits of setting out explicit triggers including a set timescale for a full review of the draft Plan
• The complexity and duplication of the sub-regional policy component of the draft Plan and the need to consider trimming it down
• Possible standardisation of sub-regional policy and the need for a more robust Sustainability Appraisal (SA) process at sub-regional policy level.

This was the final session of the Examination in Public into the South East Plan. The Panel are aiming to submit their report to Government by the end of July.