Government-appointed inspectors have begun a public examination of the blueprint that will dictate where new housing is built across Preston, South Ribble and Chorley for the next 15 years.
More than three weeks’ worth of hearings are taking place between now and mid-January assessing the first ever Central Lancashire Local Plan.
The 277-page document identifies locations that should be earmarked for housebuilding and employment use, in order to fulfil the sub-region’s needs and meet government housing targets.
Read more: Catforth pub that closed during the pandemic could be converted into four homes
It also pools those targets and redistributes them between the three neighbouring areas, according to a local assessment of how many are required in each district between 2023 – the starting point for the plan period – and 2041.
The 23,652 homes it is expected will be built during that time have been divided up in order that 9,360 of them are delivered in Preston, 8,280 in South Ribble and 6,012 in Chorley.
A total of 86 sites have been proposed to be reserved for housing – 30 in Preston, 19 in South Ribble and 37 in Chorley – although planning applications would still be required for individual developments as and when they are brought forward.
The plan also sets out proposed policies on a raft of other issues – including greenbelt, the environment, tall buildings, houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) and the location of hot food takeaways.
The public hearings – conducted by the Planning Inspectorate – will be chaired by inspectors Alison Partington and Anne Jordan.
They will be held from 2nd-5th December, 9th-12th December, 13th-16th January and 20th-21st January – rotating between Preston Town Hall, Leyland Civic Centre and Chorley Town Hall.
Representatives from the three district councils, local parish councils and housing developers are amongst those who will be taking part. The sessions are open to the public, but anybody wishing to observe must have registered in advance and only those participating are permitted to speak.
A provisional timetable can be viewed here.
Cllr Amber Afzal, cabinet member for planning and regulation at Preston City Council said: “The local plan is an important planning document that guides decisions on future development proposals to meet local needs for the area over the next 15 years, including where new housing, employment, retail, leisure and open spaces should go. It’s also important to identify what areas should be protected from development.
“Our plan has been written in association with our Central Lancashire partners, Chorley and South Ribble, and builds on our successful partnership on plan making through the delivery of the joint core strategy and will enable sustainable growth in Central Lancashire. Central Lancashire has much to contribute to the local and regional economy and this plan provides the tools to achieve this.”
Although Preston, South Ribble and Chorley have co-operated over development strategy since 2012 – including extended periods during which they have engaged in the redistribution of their minimum new housing numbers – they have, until now, each retained their own local plans.
The trio embarked on the process of creating a joint plan back in 2018. It had initially been expected to be finalised by the end of 2023, but – provided it is approved by the inspectors – will now come into force in late 2026.
Support Blog Preston: Keep our community reporting going and view the website without any adverts too. Sign up for a membership today.
Stay updated: Keep in touch directly with the latest headlines from Blog Preston, join our WhatsApp channel and subscribe for our twice-a-week email newsletter. Both free and direct to your phone and inbox. Help us report too, by contacting us if you see something we should be reporting on.
Read more: See the latest Preston news and headlines
