The Duty to Cooperate

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The Duty to Cooperate (DtC) is a requirement of the Localism Act 2011. Its aim is to ensure that local planning authorities engage constructively, actively and on an ongoing basis, so that strategic, cross-boundary matters are dealt with effectively in individual Local Plans.

Statement of Common Ground 2019

The following Statement of Common Ground/Memorandums of Understanding (2020) was entered into with the London Borough of Hounslow in July 2020. The final version of this SOCG was published in September 2020.

New PDF icon Statement of Common Ground between Runnymede Borough Council and the London Borough of Hounslow

Statements of Common Ground 2019

SoCG with Surrey County Council and all other Surrey Local Authorities.

The below Statement of Common Ground was signed in June 2019 and is concerned with strategic matters relating to the planning of waste management in the county.

PDF icon Statement of Common Ground relating to waste management matters

As part of the preparation of the Runnymede 2030 Local Plan, the Council continues to enter into Statements of Common Ground (SoCG) and Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) to support effective joint working with key partners. Signed SoCGs and MoUs from 2019 can be viewed below:

Updated Statement of Common Ground

The updated and signed Runnymede-Highways England Statement of Common Ground can be viewed below. This Statement of Common Ground was signed in September 2019 and supersedes the version signed on 28th November 2018 (and which can be viewed further down this page for completeness).

PDF icon Updated Statement of Common Ground between Runnymede Borough Council and Highways England

Duty to Cooperate

On 24 July 2018, a meeting of the Runnymede-Spelthorne Joint Member Liaison Group (JMLG) was convened to agree an amended Terms of Reference for the group and to agree the content of the Runnymede-Spelthorne Statement of Common Ground (which can be viewed below with its appendices - which include the amended Terms of Reference for the Runnymede-Spelthorne JMLG).

PDF icon JMLG Meeting Minutes 18/04/2018

Since the Statement of Common Ground was agreed and signed in May 2018, in line with the commitment contained in the Statement of Common Ground, officer level meetings are being arranged to discuss Duty to Cooperate matters between the two authorities every two months. The first of these meetings took place on 24 July 2018. The minutes from these meetings can be viewed below.

PDF icon Minutes of Meeting 24/07/2018

Minutes of Meeting 26 September 2018

PDF icon Duty to Cooperate Meeting Minutes 26.09.2018

Minutes of Meeting 5 December 2018

PDF icon Minutes of Meeting of 05.12.018

Duty to Cooperate Update and Compliance Statement (July 2018)

The Council has produced the July 2018 Duty to Cooperate Update and Compliance Statement which can be viewed below:

PDF icon 2030 Local Plan Duty to Cooperate Update and Compliance Statement

Statement of Common Ground 2018

As part of the preparation of the Runnymede 2030 Local Plan, the Council is working to produce Statements of Common Ground (SoCG) and Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) to support effective joint working with key partners. Signed SoCGs and MoUs can be viewed below:

Statement of Common Ground with Highways England

The signed Runnymede-Highways England Statement of Common Ground can be viewed below. This Statement of Common Ground was signed on 28 November 2018.

PDF icon Statement of Common Ground with Highways England

Runnymede and Environment Agency Statement of Common Ground

The Runnymede and Environment Agency statement of common ground was signed 23rd November 2018 and can be viewed below:

PDF icon Statement of Common Ground with Environment Agency

Runnymede, Elmbridge and Spelthorne Statement of Common Ground

The signed Runnymede, Elmbridge and Spelthorne Statement of Common Ground can be viewed below. The Statement of Common Ground has been signed by Councillor Nick Prescot (Leader of Runnymede Borough Council), Councillor Tim Oliver (Leader of Elmbridge Borough Council) and Councillor Ian Harvey (Leader of Spelthorne Borough Council):

PDF icon Statement of Common Ground with Elmbridge Borough Council and Spelthorne Borough Council

Runnymede-Spelthorne Statement of Common Ground

The Runnymede-Spelthorne Statement of Common Ground was produced during the early part of 2018 and signed in May 2018. The Statement of Common Ground has been produced in support of the preparation of new Local Plans in both Local Authority areas and has been developed following extensive Duty to Cooperate engagement dating back to 2014. The Statement of Common Ground confirms the strategic context relevant to the agreement, agreed ambitions and strategic priorities, key delivery mechanisms, unresolved cross boundary issues (alongside action plans for resolution) and governance arrangements.

The signed Runnymede-Spelthorne Statement of Common Ground can be viewed below along with the annexes to the agreement.

PDF icon Statement of Common Ground with Spelthorne Borough Council (May 2018)

Annex 1:

PDF icon Geographical Area covered by the Runnymede-Spelthorne SoCG and key links with neighbouring authorities

Annex 2:

PDF icon Statement of Common Ground with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and Surrey Heath (January 2018)

PDF icon Interim Surrey Local Strategic Statement and associated Memorandum of Understanding

PDF icon Statement of Common Ground with Woking Borough Council

Annex 3:

PDF icon Terms of Reference for the Heathrow Strategic Planning Group

PDF icon Signed Accord for the Heathrow Strategic Planning Group

PDF icon Terms of Reference for the Runnymede-Spelthorne Joint Member Liaison Group

PDF icon Terms of Reference for the Surrey Planning Working Group

Runnymede-Surrey Statement of Common Ground

The signed Runnymede-Surrey Statement of Common Ground can be viewed below:

PDF icon Statement of Common Ground with Surrey County Council (May 2018)

Runnymede-Slough Memorandum of Understanding

The signed Runnymede-Slough Memorandum of Understanding can be viewed below. The Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by Councillor Nick Prescot (Leader of Runnymede Borough Council) and Councillor Martin Carter (Cabinet Member for Planning and Transport at Slough Borough Council):

Duty to Cooperate Update Statement (May 2018)

In May 2018, in support of the council's draft Local Plan consultation (part 2), the Council has produced an update statement which confirms the cooperation that has occurred between January 2018 (when the Council's last Duty to Cooperate Update Statement was published) and the publication of the draft Local Plan (part 2). Given the advanced stage of Plan preparation that the Council has now reached, this update statement seeks to specifically focus on whether the Council has achieved the outcomes that it had set out to achieve for each Duty to Cooperate matter at the commencement of Plan preparation (or as revised in some cases in the September 2017 Duty to Cooperate Review). The document can be viewed below:

PDF icon Duty to Cooperate May 2018

Duty to Cooperate Update Statement (January 2018)

In January 2018, in support of the council's draft Local Plan consultation, the Council has produced an update statement which confirms the cooperation that has occurred between May 2017 (when the council's last Duty to Cooperate Update Statement was published) and the publication of the Draft Local Plan. The statement aims to show how cooperation on cross boundary, strategic matters has been ongoing, active, collaborative, diligent and mutually beneficial to other prescribed bodies. 

Duty to Cooperate Review (September 2017)

The council's September 2017 Duty to Cooperate Review seeks to provide a concise, clear, stand-alone report which reviews the discharge of the duty to cooperate to date as part of the preparation of the Runnymede 2030 Local Plan. The report reviews the list of strategic issues, catalogues the outcomes that have been achieved and explains how the "learning" from that process has been fed into plan making. It identifies additional cross-boundary matters that need to be addressed, specifying appropriate outcomes for each. The review considers how elected members have been involved in the process to date. Recommendations are made in each topic area for where the council's approach to the Duty to Cooperate could be improved upon or refined.

PDF icon Duty to Cooperate Review (September 2017)

Duty to Cooperate Update Statement (May 2017)

In May 2017, in support of the council's Additional Sites and Options consultation, the council has produced an update statement which confirms the cooperation that has occurred between July 2016 (when the council's last Duty to Cooperate Update Statement was published) and the commencement of the Additional Sites and Options consultation. The statement aims to show how cooperation on cross boundary, strategic matters has been ongoing, active, collaborative, diligent and mutually beneficial to other prescribed bodies. The document can be viewed below:

PDF icon Duty To Cooperate (May 2017)

Duty to Cooperate Update Statement (July 2016)

In July 2016, in support of the council's Issues, Options and Preferred Approaches consultation, the council has produced an update statement which confirms the cooperation that has occurred between October 2015 (when the Duty to Cooperate Framework above was published) and the commencement of the Issues, Options and Preferred Approaches consultation. The statement aims to show how cooperation on cross boundary, strategic matters has been ongoing, active, collaborative, diligent and mutually beneficial to other prescribed bodies. The document can be viewed below:

PDF icon Duty to Cooperate Update Statement (July 2016)

Duty to Cooperate Scoping Framework (October 2015)

The council's Duty to Co-operate Scoping Framework identifies the strategic, cross boundary planning issues that affect Runnymede and identified the local authorities and bodies who the council needs to engage with under the Duty to Cooperate as it prepares its Local Plan.

The council carried out a focused consultation on the draft Scoping Framework in April 2015. All of the comments made are summarised in the finalised PDF icon to indicate a PDF file Duty to Cooperate Scoping Framework (October 2015) document, along with the officer responses.

Withdrawal of the Council's Local Plan Core Strategy (2014)

Prior to the commencement of the production of the Runnymede 2030 Local Plan, the council had been preparing a core strategy that was submitted to the Secretary of State on 20 January 2014 for examination. The inspector appointed to hold the examination chaired a one-day initial hearing session on 9 April 2014.

On 29 April his conclusions letter was received by the council. Besides being concerned that the council's evidence with regard to housing need and provision was insufficiently robust, he also found that the Duty to Cooperate - established by the Localism Act 2011 - had not been fulfilled. The latter point was sufficient in itself for the inspector to request the council to withdraw the Local Plan Core Strategy. The Planning Committee meeting of 25 June and Full Council meeting of 24 July authorised the withdrawal of the LPCS with immediate effect. 

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