LEICESTER’S Local Plan will be put forward for adoption at a council meeting later this month.
The Local Plan is a tool that helps to shape housing, the local economy, community facilities and infrastructure for the city. It sets out the city council’s strategy for growth up until 2036, as well as helping to conserve and enhance the city’s natural and historic environment.
It’s the final stage in the process for Leicester’s plan, which has already been examined by the Government’s Planning Inspectorate. They have confirmed that the plan can be found to be sound, subject to the council accepting recommended changes at a full council meeting.
To get to this stage, five consultations and five weeks of public hearings and debate have been held to allow local residents and businesses to have their say on the plan and the modifications made to it.
Once adopted, a city’s Local Plan confirms how planning policies, regulations and supporting documents should be applied. It sets out where development should be allowed to take place, along with quality design and construction standards against which new developments will be tested.
City mayor Peter Soulsby said: “The Local Plan is a comprehensive set of new policies that set out standards for Leicester in terms of quality of development, design, and environmental ambition.
“New site allocations in the Local Plan will facilitate the delivery of new homes and jobs for Leicester, as well as the infrastructure that is needed alongside such provision – schools and health facilities, for example.
“While developing the plan, we have encountered many changes of Government policy, the covid-19 pandemic and a 35% increase in our housing target. Thanks to joint working with our neighbouring districts, we have secured agreement for around 50% of our housing need to be allocated outside of the city.”
The Local Plan will now go forward to the meeting of Full Council on 26 March.
For full details, please see the Local Plan webpage:
Leicester Local Plan 2020-2036 Examination - Latest news
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