Consultation to Begin on Blueprint for Borough

Public consultation on the latest version of the borough's Local Plan will get underway next Monday.

Last week, Cabinet gave the go-ahead to consult on the 'Regulation 19' publication draft, which will provide a blueprint for development up until 2040.

Regulation 19 is one of several formal stages that a Local Plan must pass, prior to adoption by the council.

The Local Plan will provide a framework for where new homes, businesses, shops and leisure facilities will be built, and ensure that the right infrastructure, such as roads and schools, is in place to support growth.

Consultation at Regulation 19 stage is very specific in its remit; it will provide the opportunity to comment on whether the plan has been prepared lawfully, whether the policies within it are sound and whether it is compliant with the Duty to Cooperate with other local authorities and other relevant organisations in its preparation.

Cllr Margaret Meling, Lead Member for Economic Growth and Transport, "It's vital that we have an up-to-date plan so that we maintain control over development in the borough.

"We have repeatedly failed the housing delivery test and are the only authority in the region whose housing delivery has fallen below 75 per cent; this makes us extremely vulnerable to speculative development proposals.

"We received almost 1,900 responses during our consultation at the Regulation 18 stage and we have taken that feedback on board. This version of the plan reflects people's views wherever possible.

"Now we're asking people for their input again, so that together we can put in strong local policies that support the kind of places local people want.

The latest version of the plan allocates 27 sites which would accommodate 1190 homes in the Main Urban Area, leaving a further 2253 houses to be accommodated outside this area.

The plan has also identified land south of Fellgate as a Sustainable Growth Area, which will be allocated for up to 1,200 new homes and supporting community infrastructure. Cabinet also approved consultation on an initial scoping report on this, which would help inform a future masterplan.

A number of sites, both in the Green Belt, and in the Main Urban Area, identified as potential residential sites in the Regulation 18 draft plan, have been removed and are no longer allocated for housing.

There has also been a reduction in the amount of housing required for the plan period, this is due to changes to the standard method formula used to calculate Local Housing Need and planning permissions granted for housing development since the Regulation 18 consultation. 

This has resulted in the residual housing number decreasing from 4,471 to 3,443 over the plan period.  In addition, the 15% buffer proposed at Regulation 18 will now no longer be included as this would require more land in the Green Belt to be allocated for development.

Cllr Meling added: "This version of the plan seeks to meet our housing need, which is the right thing to do for the borough.

"We continue to prioritise and actively promote the development of brownfield sites first, but there is an acute undersupply of land from non-Green Belt sources, so we have had to look at all options to accommodate sustainable development. In this version of the plan, it is proposed that just five per cent of land is removed from the Green Belt.

"But a local plan isn't just about building houses; it's about making the borough a thriving and prosperous place.

"It gives us the opportunity to enhance and protect our natural and historic environment and embed policies that mitigate the effects of climate change.

"We want people who grow up in South Tyneside to be able to stay here, with access to a range of homes to rent and buy, and skilled jobs. We want to create well designed, sustainable neighbourhoods that last a lifetime."

Consultation will run from Monday 15 January to midnight on Sunday 25 February.

There will be a number of information sessions (see NTE) and a presentation will be taken to each of the borough's Community Area Forums.

To view the draft Plan and for details of how to give your views, visit www.southtyneside.gov.uk/localplan