Council supports latest stage of District’s draft development plan
St Albans City and District Council has given its go-head in the latest stage of preparing a draft development plan for the area.
Once formally agreed and adopted, the final plan will form a blueprint for development in the District until 2031.
At the Council meeting on Wednesday 2 December, Councillors voted to proceed to the ‘formal publication’ stage of the draft Strategic Local Plan.
A six week formal public consultation period will begin on Friday 8 January 2016. The purpose of this is to gather representations on compliance with legal processes and on whether the draft plan is ‘sound’ in legal and planning terms. Subject to the results of that consultation, a final draft version will be submitted for assessment by the Planning Inspectorate later in 2016.
The current version of the draft plan has been the subject of much cross-party work over the last two years by the Planning Policy Committee.
This has involved commissioning and scrutinising significant detailed work to supplement the earlier draft version of the plan put forward to Council in November 2012, which has also been fully reviewed.
The detailed work includes an independent Green Belt review, an independent Housing Market Assessment, and a Development Site and Strategy Options Evaluation.
The Planning Policy Committee work also entailed consideration of the results of the more general public consultation undertaken in Autumn 2014 and general updating following national guidance and policy changes.
Cllr Julian Daly, Leader of St Albans City and District Council and Portfolio Holder for Planning and Conservation said: “The development of a Local Plan for our District is probably the most important work that this Council is doing.
"Our challenge has been to prepare a plan that responds in a balanced way to the economic, social and environmental pressures upon the District.
“The draft plan agreed by Council is the culmination of years of detailed work with members of different political parties. I am pleased that we have been able to work together to find a way forward.”
See also: Consultation draft strategic local plan agreed for public consideration: http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/press-room/items/2014/september/consultation-draft-strategic-local-plan-agreed-for-public-consideration.aspx (Press release, September 2014)
Second part of Independent Green Belt Review published: http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/press-room/items/2013/december/SecondpartofindependentGreenBeltreviewpublished.aspx#0 (Press release, December 2013)
Independent Housing Needs Assessment published: http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/press-room/items/2013/November/Independenthousingneedsassessmentpublished.aspx#0 (Press release, November 2013)
First Part of Independent Green Belt Review published:
http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/press-room/items/2013/October/FirstpartofindependentGreenBeltreviewpublished.aspx#0 (Press release, October 2013)
Studies into Green Belt to be carried out
http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/press-room/items/2012/December2012/StudiesintoGreenBelttobecarriedout.aspx#0 (Press release, December 2012)
Councillor contact:
Councillor Julian Daly, Leader and Portfolio Holder for Planning & Conservation, St Albans City and District Council, Tel: 07775 657200; Email: cllr.j.daly@stalbans.gov.uk
Contact for the media:
Claire Wainwright, Executive and Communications Manager, St Albans City and District Council, Tel: 01727 819572, Email: claire.wainwright@stalbans.gov.uk
Note for editors:
Council has agreed to proceed to formal publication of the Draft Strategic Local Plan under Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.