Cabinet recommends Local Plan
A borough’s Local Plan should be adopted for implementation when councillors make their decision later this month, say senior councillors. Calderdale Council’s cabinet agreed to recommend the plan for approval. The plan has been controversial, with campaigners against it raising issues from infrastructure concerns to air quality worries. If adopted at the full Calderdale Council on March 22 it will shape where around 10,000 new homes, and businesses, might be built over the next decade.
Deputy leader of the council Coun Jane Scullion, proposed cabinet should make the recommendation after the council received a final report from government-appointed planning inspector Katie Child, who has overseen the process, saying she found it “sound” providing main modifications she suggested were adopted.
Coun Scullion (Lab, Luddenden Foot), who is also cabinet member for regeneration and strategy, said the Local
Plan had to address three issues Calderdale faced – stagnation, demand for homes and the climate emergency.
Census returns showed Calderdale’s population is getting older and in terms of numbers, stagnant, she said.
“If we don’t have a Local Plan with sustainable employment and housing sites within it, then we will gradually see our village schools closing as their simply won’t be enough children to fill them, there won’t be enough jobs for
our children and they’ll have to move away, and our shops will struggle,” she said.
Coun Scullion said the local housing association reported having 7,251 eligible people in need of homes and that was just the waiting list – additionally there were people in overcrowded homes or unsuitable housing who were not on the list, all indicating more homes were needed. And it offered the opportunity to build new housing, especially in two proposed garden suburbs near Brighouse, with 3,000 proposed new energy efficient homes, she said.
Despite the historical appeal of Calderdale’s old mills, there was also need for sites where new business premises fit for purpose could be built, she added.
Although sites were included in the Local Plan, it did nor necessarily mean homes would be built or new businesses sites there – applications would be tested through
the planning process and the plan’s adoption would provide an up-todate policy framework to shape it.
“Planning is by definition controversial because it directly affects people’s perception of their local environment – however, there isn’t an option for councils not to engage with this process. “Without a plan we lack the mechanism to resist certain less desirable development.
“We also need to reverse many years of insufficient homes being built in Calderdale.
“It provides an opportunity to proactively address many of the environmental, economic and social issues that we face.
“In many respects the Local Plan will just be the start of the journey.” Non-cabinet councillors were not allowed to speak at the meeting but a full debate is expected when all councillors consider the recommendation at the meeting on March 22.