The deadline to take part in the final public consultation on Calderdale’s Local Plan has been extended by a fortnight.
The consultation began on 12 August and the deadline to submit feedback has now been extended, with comments being accepted until 5pm on Friday 21 October 2022.
This will give residents and businesses extra time to have their say about changes to the plan, known as the ‘main modifications’, recommended by the Planning Inspector.
The Local Plan outlines areas within Calderdale where additional housing and businesses can be built, with supporting infrastructure and which areas will remain undeveloped.
The Council has been working with an independent Planning Inspector Ms Katie Child, appointed by the Secretary of State for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on the draft Local Plan.
After discussions with the Inspector, the Council has decided to extend the public consultation on the main modifications because of recent changes which could affect the Local Plan.
A decision by the Department for Education on a new free secondary school in Brighouse has not yet been confirmed.
However a review of secondary school places in the area, compared to the projected number of school children if the Local Plan is adopted, indicates that there will be enough places already without the need for a new school.
The West Yorkshire Combined Authority is currently reworking the West Yorkshire Plus Transport fund programme which may also have an impact on some of the planned improvements to infrastructure within Calderdale.
Cllr Jane Scullion, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Strategy, said:
“The Local Plan is one of the most significant documents which the Council will develop since it will be used to help decide planning applications and planning decisions over the next 15 years.
“It sets out how we will manage development across the borough, identifying those areas which will be allocated for future homes and to support our local economy and those which will be preserved to retain our distinctive landscapes.
“These are big decisions about the future of our borough and it’s important that we give everyone the chance to have their say.”
The Inspector’s final conclusions will take account of the feedback submitted in response to this consultation and will help ensure that the final adopted Local Plan is right for Calderdale.
The main modifications were recommended by the Planning Inspector to make sure that Calderdale’s Local Plan is sound and legally compliant. Once approved it will be reviewed in years five and 10.
To take part in the consultation, all comments on the main modifications must be made in writing to the Council by 5pm on Friday 21 October 2022. These can be submitted via the online Consultation Portal at www.calderdale.gov.uk/localplan.
Alternatively, Representation Forms are available on request from libraries and Customer First offices.
The Calderdale Local Plan and relevant supporting documents are available for inspection online at www.calderdale.gov.uk/localplan and at all Calderdale libraries during their normal opening hours.
The Planning Inspector will need to consider responses received during the public consultation and should then be in a position to issue her final report. The Council can then proceed to adopt the Calderdale Local Plan.
The draft Local Plan supports the ‘Vision2024 for Calderdale’ themes of distinctiveness, resilience and enterprise.
The year 2024 marks Calderdale’s 50th birthday. Where do we want to be by 2024? Get involved with the debate on Twitter with #VisionCdale2024 and find out more at www.calderdale.gov.uk/vision