The second stage of Local Plan examination hearings by an independent Planning Inspector will begin on Tuesday 6 October 2020.
The Inspector is appointed by the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to consider a range of issues relating to the draft Local Plan, including housing, employment, transport, town centres and retailing and climate change.
The hearings are expected to last five weeks and will be held throughout October and November. The Inspector will then provide a report to the Council once this stage of the review has been concluded.
The stage one hearings, which took place in the summer of 2019, were to examine the vision and strategy on which the Local Plan is based; the housing and employment need in Calderdale, a sustainability appraisal and the need for gypsy and traveller facilities.
Following observations from the Inspector after stage one, the Council adjusted the housing plans to deliver a greater concentration of houses within existing sites which are close to good transport links, for example within town centres, as well as identifying some new sites close to bus and rail provision.
The Council will also ask the Inspector to update the Climate Change chapter of the Local Plan, during the second stage of examination, to include a commitment within Calderdale to reduce greenhouse gases by 60% to 2032 compared to levels in 2005.
This is to help the Council meet tough new targets to tackle climate change within the Local Plan after declaring a climate emergency in January 2019.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Strategy, Cllr Jane Scullion said:
“We’re confident that the Local Plan will deliver a sustainable pattern of growth whilst at the same time protecting the environment and securing the future of those green spaces that we all cherish and which make Calderdale so distinctive.”
The hearings cannot take place in public because of the pandemic, however participants will take part via Zoom and the hearings will be streamed via the Council’s YouTube channel.
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