Cabinet members this afternoon (1 October) voted to put the city’s Local Plan out to public consultation, calling for residents to have their say on a document which influences planning decisions for years to come.
The decision follows an Extra-Ordinary Full Council meeting on Tuesday (29 September) night following a call-in of the original decision to approve the Local Plan.
During today’s meeting, cabinet members considered a recommendation made by Full Council to increase the minimum requirements for social rent in the Local Plan.
It was decided that whilst the increase to social housing provision is a welcome call, the viability of the plan would be placed at risk. Therefore, in order to ensure support for this provision, an alternative pathway was recommended which is to encourage councillors who support the provision to share their views in the consultation, which will be considered by the Planning Inspectorate.
The final six-week public consultation into the Local Plan will begin tomorrow (2 October), ahead of the deadline for submitting the document to the Government’s Planning Inspectorate on 31 December.
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 have a Local Plan which we are confident has both support and is evidence based.
“Now we want the public to have their final say on the Local Plan before it is submitted to the Planning Inspectorate at the end of the year.
“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.”
The results of the public consultation will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate at the same time as the Local Plan for consideration.
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.
A letter from Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government received by Peterborough City Council this week, indicates that the Planning Inspectorate may allow the Council to request main modifications to the plan through the examination process. This will involve public consultation on any modifications.