Agenda item

Report attached.

Note:   Due to the large file sizes of maps and to ensure reasonable download speeds, the Local Plan Area Maps and Open Space Maps are presented in low resolution.  High resolution versions can be supplied on request by contacting the Democratic Services Team (see agenda cover for details).

Members considered a report of Councillor Miles Parkinson OBE, Leader of the Council, on the Hyndburn Local Plan (Strategic Policies and Site Allocations) – Regulation 19 Consultation.

The Local Plan was the long-term development framework for the area.  It had a key role to play in:

• meeting the full needs of communities for housing, employment and service provision;
• delivering new development in a sustainable way; and
• helping to contribute to wider policy ambitions at the regional and national scales.

Work had reached an advanced stage in the preparation of the new Local Plan for Hyndburn.  The next step was the publication of the Local Plan (Strategic Policies and Site Allocations – henceforth referred to as the “Local Plan”) for public consultation at Regulation 19 stage of the plan making process.  Once adopted, these documents would replace the final saved elements of the 1996 Local Plan and the 2012 Core Strategy.  A similar report on this matter had presented to Cabinet on the 16^th March 2022 and the report to Council now sought approval from all Members for the authority to take the Local Plan out to public consultation.

This report explained the context and content of the consultation documents that were proposed to be the subject of a public consultation exercise, due to be commenced in May 2022.  The version of the Local Plan being consulted on would represent the settled view of the Council on what the Plan should contain (under Regulation 19 of the Town Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012).  This was also known as the “Pre-submission” Plan as, after the consultation concludes, it would be the version which was submitted to an Inspector for Examination in Public.

The main report set out the full reasons for the proposals and included detailed information on the following:-

• Purpose of the Local Plan;
• Key documents;
• Reasons for review;
• Timetable and progress to date;
• Summary of Local Plan contents; and
• Consultation details.

The Leader commented that the process for developing the new Plan had been on-going for some time, but was still around 2 years from completion.  The last version had been published in 1996.  Ward councillors had already been involved in the site allocations process.  In general, housing would be focused on Huncoat Garden Village, with some other development in Rishton.  Employment sites would been centred on Altham and Whitebirk.

The final document would be the Council’s key strategy until 2037 for the provision of a diverse housing stock and employment land.  The Borough must grow to be economically sustainable and the Council aimed to bring in around £100m of investment through this approach.  The Council would also need to work closely with the MP.  Change was often difficult for some people to accept and there would always be some objections raised whatever was proposed.  Nevertheless, change remained an important step.

Resolved                                 (1)   That Council notes the work which has already taken place, including previous statutory public consultation, on the earlier stages of preparation of the new Local Plan for Hyndburn.

(2)   That Council approves the content of the Local Plan document (as set out in the separate papers submitted with the report) and agrees to commence a 6-week statutory consultation process in due course.

(3)   That Council delegates authority to the Council’s Executive Director (Legal and Democratic Services) and the Chief Planning and Transportation Officer, following consultation with the relevant Portfolio Holder for Planning, to make any further changes considered necessary or appropriate to the consultation documents, prior to commencing consultation.