Council submits Local Plan that could create 8,000 jobs
Charnwood Borough Council has submitted its Local Plan and vision for the area to Government.
The Charnwood Local Plan 2021-37 guides development and identifies locations for housing and employment land. The Local Plan also considers the impacts of climate change, infrastructure needs and protection of green spaces.
The Local Plan has been developed following four public consultations, including the latest one in the summer when there were over 700 representations.
The submission to the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities marks the start of the formal examination of the Local Plan which will be carried out by an independent inspector nominated by the Planning Inspectorate. An inspector will be appointed to examine whether the plan has been prepared in accordance with legal and procedural requirements and if it is sound.
Councillor Richard Bailey, the Council’s lead member for planning, said: “A Local Plan is critical to making sure areas can grow in a sustainable way, creating homes and jobs that people need, ensuring we have the right infrastructure to support our communities and making sure we are looking after the environment.
“Local Plans also come under intense scrutiny from the planning inspector, developers and other interested parties so we have to make sure we get this right.
“We have now submitted to Government our Local Plan and all the comments from the latest consultation which included representations from residents, developers and other organisations.
“I would once again like to thank everyone took part in the consultation exercises and helped shape this plan.”
The Charnwood Local Plan 2021-37 identifies 154 hectares of employment land to support the creation of 8,900 jobs in the borough. It also allocates land for new sustainable and homes. The Government has set a target of 1,111 new homes a year to meet the borough’s needs up to 2037.
More details about the format and timings of the examination, including any public hearing sessions, are anticipated to be made available by the Planning Inspectorate in the new year.
