York’s emerging Local Plan will take a step closer to being finalised this month when councillors will be asked to approve a new Local Plan Preferred Sites document, which outlines revised figures for housing, employment and sites that will be used to help pave way for a citywide consultation.
The developing Local Plan aims to support the city’s economic growth, addresses the shortage of housing and helps shape future development and employment in York over the next 15-years and beyond.
In line with the Government’s National Planning Policy Framework, introduced in 2012, a draft report will go before Executive on 30 June, following a meeting with the Local Plan Working Group on 27 June. If approved, the proposals will then be opened up to the public for an eight-week consultation starting in July.
Cllr David Carr, Leader of City of York Council, said: “Progressing York’s Local Plan is a priority for the council and over the past few months officers have been working behind the scenes to ensure the best possible outcome can be achieved before announcing its next steps.
“We’re now pleased to be in a position to enable members of the public to see first hand the work and background material which has been undertaken to-date.
“If taken forward, these revised proposals could help to deliver around 11,000 new jobs – and for the first time – create a permanent Green Belt to ensure the city’s boundaries are protected for two decades. Therefore, it’s hugely important we gain the views of the public before work is progressed further”.
The Preferred Sites Document identifies approximately 480 hectares of land for housing and approximately 57 hectares of land for employment. The previous publication draft plan included approximately 960 hectares of land for housing and 61 hectares of land for employment.
The majority of the land removed sits within the draft Green Belt with proposed green field housing sites cut by over 50 per cent from 862 hectares to 366.
The vast majority of draft green belt sites proposed in 2014 have either been removed entirely, substantially altered and/or reduced in size.
In addition to this, the previous publication draft included 335 hectares of safeguarded land identified for longer term need. All safeguarded land has now been removed from the plan. A small element has been reallocated for employment uses at Grimston Bar and Northminster.
Proposed housing on brownfield land has increased from 85 hectares (in 2014) to 101 hectares, with York Central alone earmarked for 1,500 new homes.
These projections are in line with York’s independently-assessed housing need, taking account of completed sites, sites with permission and supplemented by small windfalls (sites which come forward during the plan period). Overall, the proposals will deliver land for at least 8,277 homes for the period up to 2032 and 2,450 homes for the period 2032 and 2037.
Linking housing and employment growth continues to be an important element of this work. Over 50 hectares of employment land has been identified for future development in York over the lifespan of the new plan, including the University of York, York Central and Northminster.
Significant evidence work was undertaken prior to the draft Preferred Sites paper to ensure York’s heritage and conservation, open spaces are protected and flood risk areas were taken into account.
The plan is expected to be submitted to the Secretary of State (Planning Inspectorate) by May 2017.
To view a copy of the Local Plan Working Group report visit: http://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=128&MId=9703