Local Plan approved for submission to the Secretary of State, by St Albans City and District Councillors
A Local Plan for St Albans District’s future growth has been agreed by Councillors. St Albans City and District Councillors approved the draft Local Plan (LP) for the purpose of submission to the Secretary of State, at a meeting of Full Council.
The LP identifies land for housing, employment developments and green spaces for the years to 2041.
Residents, community groups, businesses, neighbouring local authorities, statutory bodies and other organisations have helped shape the document by giving their views in consultations.
Councillor Paul de Kort, the Council’s Leader, said after the meeting on Wednesday 16 October: “I am delighted that Councillors have voted overwhelmingly to approve our Local Plan for submission to the Secretary of State.
“Producing a Local Plan is one of the most challenging, complex and important tasks that a Council faces and it has taken more than three years of demanding work to reach this stage.
“It is in the interests of our residents that we move forward with the Local Plan without delay otherwise we will be vulnerable to more speculative planning applications for inappropriate developments.
“It is these opportunistic developments that most concern residents as they don’t take a strategic account of the impact on the local community and, as they are not included in a Local Plan, they contribute less to improving the local infrastructure.
“This Local Plan can protect the District from such random, piecemeal developments by providing for new housing, schools, parks, cycleways and employment centres in a strategic way.”
The LP allows for the building of 15,000 new homes in the District over the next 17 years in accordance with current national planning policy guidelines. This will include 1,200 social rent properties, mainly three-bedroom homes, increasing the area’s social housing stock by around 25%.
The LP also allows for a potential £750 million of infrastructure to support the proposed new residential areas. This includes nine new primary schools, four new secondary schools, improvements to public transport, locations for 15,000 jobs, and new green spaces and health facilities.
Cllr de Kort added: “The Local Plan helps to address the housing crisis we see in the District and that the country is faced with. In our District, this is more challenging as house prices are among the least affordable in the country.
“The Local Plan provides for the first significant increase in social housing in a generation. It also caters for the need for more starter homes for young families.
“It has the potential to give the younger generation a much greater chance of living in the area they grew up in, whether as homeowners or tenants.”
The LP is currently undergoing what is called the Regulation 19 Consultation. This allows for public comment on the draft LP’s compliance and ‘soundness’ with national planning policies.
A report on the feedback will be considered at a meeting of the Planning Policy and Climate Committee on Thursday 28 November.
Previously, it was intended to submit a draft LP in March next year. The timetable was brought forward to avoid potential changes to national planning policy that could mean starting the whole LP process again from scratch.
The Regulation 19 consultation continues until Friday 8 November. More information, including the draft LP and other documents, is available at www.stalbans.gov.uk/new-local-plan.
Media contact: John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer: 01727 819533, john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk.