Liverpool City Council is preparing a Local Plan, which will guide development in the City until 2033 by setting out policies and land allocations/designations with regard to the quantity and location of new homes, employment provision, shops, community facilities and other services, transport and other infrastructure provision, climate change mitigation and adaption and the conservation and enhancement of the natural and historic environment. Once adopted, the Local Plan will replace the Liverpool Unitary Development Plan (UDP) as the statutory development plan for the City.
Informal public consultation took place on a Draft Local Plan between late September and early November 2016. The City Council has considered all representations received, which totalled nearly 1,200 specific comments, in finalising the Local Plan. The City Council has now produced a Submission Draft Local Plan for consultation, which is the Plan the City Council considers is ready to be submitted to the Secretary of State for the purposes of independent examination.
At this stage of the preparation of the Local Plan the Regulations require comments made by the public, stakeholders and other organisations to focus on whether the City Council has complied with legal requirements and defined soundness test. This contrasts with previous consultation which was concerned with developing the content of the Local Plan. The tests of soundness are concerned with the following questions:
- Has the Local Plan been ‘positively prepared’ – the plan should be prepared based on a strategy which seeks to meet objectively assessed development and infrastructure requirements, including unmet requirements from neighbouring authorities where it is reasonable to do so and consistent with achieving sustainable development
- Is the Local Plan ‘Justified’ – the plan should be the most appropriate strategy, when considered against the reasonable alternatives, based on proportionate evidence
- Will the Local plan be ‘Effective’ – the plan should be deliverable over its period and based on effective joint working on cross-boundary strategic priorities
- Is the Local Plan ‘Consistent with national policy’ – the plan should enable the delivery of sustainable development in accordance with the policies in the National Planning Policy Framework.
A copy of the Submission Draft Local Plan and all associated response forms, supporting assessments and evidence studies are available via the City Council website. Copies of the Submission Draft Local Plan and forms are also available, during normal opening hours, at:
- Planning Reception on the 4th Floor, Cunard Building, Water Street, Liverpool L3 1DS
- Central Library, William Brown Street, Liverpool L3 8EW
- All Community Libraries across the City
- All One Stop Shops across the City
All representations must be returned to the City Council by midnight, Friday 9 March 2018.
Representations can be made by one of the following methods:
- Via the City Council’s Consultation Portal – follow the [Login / Register] button at the top right
- E-mail to LiverpoolLocalPlan@liverpool.gov.uk
- Post to: FREEPOST RRUK-HRTT-LATT, Liverpool City Council, Planning and Building Control, Cunard Building, Water Street, Liverpool, L3 1AH.
For further information, contact the Development Plans Team at LiverpoolLocalPlan@liverpool.gov.uk, or telephone 0151 233 3021.
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