Calderdale residents, businesses and public bodies can make representations in response to the final draft of the Local Plan, from when it is published on Friday 10 August 2018.
The ambitious plan identifies areas for economic growth, and sites for around 9,500 new homes, for development over the next 15 years, supporting the Council’s Vision 2024 to make Calderdale a place where people want to live, work, visit and invest.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning, Housing and Environment, Cllr Daniel Sutherland said:
“This is a Local Plan for the future of Calderdale, to protect our heritage, our countryside and the distinctive character of our local communities whilst allowing us to grow sustainably.
“We need new homes so our young people have a bright future here; so that it is a place where they choose to live and, with time, maybe have their own family. And we need to encourage investment in Calderdale, so that we can provide good quality, highly skilled jobs within the borough and retain a talented local workforce.
“The Local Plan is essential in giving us control, at a local level, over where new homes are built, ensuring we can protect and retain over 99% of Calderdale’s green belt and surrounding countryside from development, for the enjoyment of future generations. The Local Plan also ensures we can develop the infrastructure required and secure the investment we need to do this, building upon our success to date.”
The publication of the draft Local Plan on the Council’s website will mark the start of a six week period during which members of the public may make formal representations on the proposals.
This is a technical and legal consultation, providing people with an opportunity to comment on three specific aspects of the draft Local Plan – that it is compliant with current legislation; that it is ‘sound’ and that it complies with the Duty to Co-operate.
Full instructions and guidance on how to make a representation are included at www.calderdale.gov.uk/localplan
The Council will hold three drop in sessions, where there will be an opportunity for people to discuss the draft Local Plan with a Planning Officer, between 4pm and 7pm on:
- Thursday 23 August in Hebden Bridge Library
- Monday 3 September in Brighouse Library
- Thursday 6 September in Halifax Library
The draft Local Plan can also be viewed at Calderdale libraries, and officers will be available from 9am until 1pm at Halifax Customer First(external link) every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
The representation period will close at 5pm on Monday 24 September 2018.
The Council will not be able to amend the draft Local Plan after reviewing the representations made, but they will be included with the draft Local Plan when it is submitted to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for Examination by an independent Planning Inspector
The draft Local Plan has already been through two full public consultations, in 2015/16 and again in 2017, which has influenced the proposals as they have developed.
The most recent consultation resulted in over 8,000 individual comments from local people across the borough. These have all been carefully analysed and considered by the Council before the final draft of the Local Plan was prepared.
The Council is following a timetable for publication which was agreed with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which will see the draft Local Plan, including the representations from the public, submitted in December 2018.
Calderdale’s Local Plan will then be examined in detail by an independent Planning Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State. The examination could last around nine months.
Adoption of the plan by Calderdale Council, following receipt of the Inspector’s Report, is expected to be confirmed by the end of 2019.
ENDS