FEEDBACK CALL FOR NEW BOROUGH LOCAL PLAN

Proposals, evidence and all public comments will be submitted to the planning inspectorate following eight weeks of consultation due to start soon on Newcastle’s new Borough Local Plan.

The planning document will determine which parts of the borough are allocated for housing, business development and community facilities, as well as identifying where no development can take place to protect important open spaces.

Comments must be online, or in writing, and the council is running a series of consultation events across the borough to help people argue their case.

Andrew Fear, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council's Cabinet member for Strategic Planning, said: “As required, this is a long, careful process and we will be putting the Plan and all its supporting evidence out to consultation with the public for a period of two months, which is two weeks longer than the statutory requirement.

“At the end of this latest consultation all the proposals, the evidence that supports them and people’s comments, unfiltered and in full, will be passed to the independent Planning Inspectorate for it to examine.”

The Council is required to have a Local Plan to earmark land suitable for different types of development and to maintain a rolling, minimum five-year supply of housing land.

Last week’s Government proposal to increase the number of homes being built will not affect progression of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough’s emerging Local Plan. July’s Council decision to progress its draft Local Plan to the final round of public consultation, along with the detail of its proposals, means the authority will not be required to review its proposed housing provisions to take on a greater number of homes in the Borough.

If a Local Plan doesn’t exist or is out of date and the housing supply falls below the minimum requirement, then developers are more likely to gain approval for planning applications submitted anywhere in the Borough - including areas previously deemed off-limits.

Cllr Fear added: “There is a clear requirement to have a workable Local Plan, which is determined by the community. We have followed a policy of choosing brownfield sites wherever possible and keeping control of where we accept housing and business development, as well as the areas that we want to protect.”

The consultation will begin on 12 August and end on the 7 October.  

Throughout the process people will be able to make submissions in writing to: Planning Policy, Second Floor, Castle House, Barracks Road, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 1BL. Or by email to: planningpolicy@newcastle-staffs.gov.uk  .

On Monday 12 August people will be able to visit Castle House, Newcastle, between 10am and 6pm to ask questions about how to make representations. Appointments are necessary and can be made via planningpolicy@newcastle-staffs.gov.uk .

Other drop-in events which will explain the latest stage of the plans and how people can submit their opinion will be held between 5pm and 7pm at:

• Bradwell Lodge, Wednesday 14 August;

• Loggerheads Fire Station, Thursday 15 August;

• Kidsgrove Town Hall, Tuesday 20 August;

• Madeley Centre, Thursday 29 August;

• Red Street Community Church, Wednesday 4 September;

• Audley Methodist Church, Thursday 12 September;

• Silverdale Methodist Church, Monday 16 September;

• The Knights Templar pub, Keele, Thursday 19 September;

• Guildhall, Newcastle town centre, Tuesday 24 September.

Please keep checking the Borough Council Local Plan webpages for any changes in consultation events dates and times.