Councillors endorse city’s Local Plan ahead of Cabinet meeting

The city’s Local Plan, which will influence planning decisions for the years to come, has been endorsed by Full Council following a call-in of the decision.

The endorsement took place at an extra-ordinary meeting of Full Council tonight (29 September) following a call-in of the original decision to approve the Local Plan last month. A final decision on whether to go out to public consultation is made by Cabinet on Thursday (1 October).

At the meeting 38 members approved the recommendation to endorse the Local Plan, with 0 voting against and two choosing to abstain. There are 60 councillors that make up Peterborough City Council.

In making this decision, Cabinet members have been asked to consider the following recommendation by members:

• Increasing the minimum requirement for social rent

The Local Plan is a key document which allows local authorities to guide development in their areas. It outlines what areas should and should not be developed and how land should be protected. The aim of the plan is to ensure there is a balance between development, environmental protection and public interest.

Councillor Numan Ali Iqbal, cabinet member for growth and regeneration at Peterborough City Council, said: “We are pleased that we have the endorsement of Full Council for our Local Plan following the call-in of the original Cabinet decision.

“As we have said before, our Local Plan needs to be considered and in the best interests for the future growth of our city. It ensures growth in our city happens in the right way and in the right areas. It designates areas of the city for employment land, housing and even more importantly – stops development in areas which we want to retain as green space.

“As a city of growth and expansion, it is imperative that development takes place in a planned and organised way which would benefit the city’s long-term sustainable growth – with the needs of our residents firmly in mind.”

Cabinet will make its final decision on Thursday on whether to launch the public consultation on Friday (2 October).

The deadline for the Local Plan to be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate is 31 December 2026. The government officially introduced England's new local plan-making system in March this year. All Local Plans already underway at that time - including Peterborough's - were told to carry on with the old system, with the proviso that they must be submitted by 31 December. If the deadline is missed, new regulations require Councils to start from scratch immediately on preparation of a new Local Plan under the new system. Previously there were no restrictions on timescales or the number of iterations the plan could go through.