Local Plan hearings re-commence

The hearings were adjourned last spring to give the borough council the opportunity to gather more evidence in certain areas of its plan.

Cabinet member for Development and Regeneration, Cllr Jim Moriarty, said: “We have done an enormous amount of work over the past year to gather more evidence in support of our plan and I am looking forward to the hearings beginning again.

“Once the hearings are complete we can move towards formally adopting the plan, which sets out a roadmap for future development in the borough.

"That will not be the end of our work, however: the development of Local Plans is an ongoing process and once our Local Plan is adopted, we will begin work on the next one immediately. The Local Plan provides a planning policy framework covering a range of areas, including meeting the housing needs of the borough and economic, social, and environmental policies. It will guide and influence both individual planning decisions and also many of the key strategic decisions we take."

“We will ensure that our new and future Local Plan delivers the best outcomes for people of West Norfolk, in line with the commitments in our Corporate Strategy.

Since the hearings were adjourned the council has been gathering additional evidence to support its plan. This includes:

• Extra evidence relating to the West Winch Housing Growth Area,
• Evidence to support an updated Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople strategy (which is why the council has recently undertaken consultation on this),
• Additional information around the council’s strategic approach to growth in the borough.

The hearings are due to resume on Tuesday 26 March and are scheduled as follows:

• 26-28 March – strategic growth and West Winch,
• 16-19 April – sites that the council has allocated or is proposing to allocate across West Norfolk, and its environmental, social and economic policies,
• 3-4 September – Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople strategy.

Full details or the process and more details about the hearings are available at www.west-norfolk.gov.uk/LPRexamination.