Date set for LDF public examination
A date has been set for an independent inspector to run the rule over a planning blueprint designed to shape the future of South Ribble for the next 15 years.
South Ribble Borough Council has been working on a new local plan for the borough and submitted the document to the government in October 2012.
Now a planning inspector will examine the local plan at a public hearing in March 2013, when people who have submitted formal representations will have an opportunity to put their case. The Planning Inspectorate has appointed Susan Heywood as the inspector who will conduct the examination and decide if the document is 'sound' and complies with legal requirements. If necessary, final amendments will then be made and the council will be in a position to formally adopt the new local plan.
A preliminary meeting will be held on Wednesday 23 January, starting at 10am, in the Cross Room at the Civic Centre, Leyland, to explain how the public examination will be run and establish when people can attend to make representations. Planning issues will not be discussed at this pre-meeting.
The full public examination hearings will start on Tuesday 5 March, at 10am, at the Civic Centre, and are expected to last for about eight days, spread over a three-week period. The exact dates will be confirmed shortly.
The local plan, known as the Local Development Framework, identifies around 100 potential sites for future housing, employment, infrastructure and green spaces in South Ribble which were considered during previous consultations.
Once adopted, the LDF will give the council the power to manage the economic growth of the borough, protect and maintain our open spaces and tackle existing planning issues in a co-ordinated manner.
South Ribble Borough Council's cabinet member with responsibility for strategic planning and housing, Councillor Cliff Hughes, said: "In order to stimulate the growth of the local economy, South Ribble Borough Council must find land to provide homes, jobs and infrastructure. The LDF will set out how the area will grow, how services will be provided and how the environment and character of the area will be enhanced and protected.
"I'm pleased we now have a date for the public examination hearings. Producing the LDF has been a lengthy process, lots of people have put in a lot of hard work and I'd like to thank them for their efforts. We are now approaching the final stages and once our site allocations document has been adopted it will give us much greater control over our own destiny."
For more information about the LDF, click here.
Last updated: 19 March 2013
