Local Plan Consultation – Your Say is Important

Further to the launch of the consultation on the borough’s Local Plan (a strategic guidance document that covers all aspects of planning, housing, design, infrastructure and Green Belt over the next 15 years), below are a few pointers which may help readers.

Green Belt  The Spatial Strategy (Paragraph 5.1.11 of the Proposed Submission Havering Local Plan) states that Havering is one of London’s greenest boroughs with extensive open spaces and more than half of the borough designated as Metropolitan Green Belt as identified on the Proposals Map. The spatial strategy of the Local Plan is to optimise the use of brownfield land for meeting the demand for new homes and business growth and to provide continued protection for Havering’s Green Belt and its most valuable open spaces.

The Housing Supply section of the Plan (Paragraph 7.1.12) states that as part of its strategy, the Council has looked at the scope for the Green Belt to provide land for new homes. It has undertaken a review against the functions of the Green Belt as set out in the (National Planning Policy Framework) NPPF. The Council is satisfied that all of the Green Belt in Havering fulfils its purpose and that having regard to the significant opportunities for new homes to come forward in Havering’s built up area, there is no planning justification for releasing land from the Green Belt.

 Housing targets The Housing Supply section of the Plan (Paragraph 7.1.3) states the London Plan sets out average annual minimum housing supply targets for each borough until 2025. For Havering, the target is a minimum of 11,701 new homes over the period 2015-2025. The London Plan states that the annual average (1,170) should be rolled forward for the remainder of the Plan period.  Paragraph 7.1.4 states that in line with the requirements of the London Plan the Council will seek to deliver the minimum target set in the Plan. Over the 15-year lifetime of this Local Plan Havering’s minimum housing target is therefore 17,550.

Next steps  The representations received in response to the consultation will be submitted with the Submission version of the Local Plan, along with other supporting documents, to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. The Secretary of State will appoint an independent Planning Inspector to carry out the Examination in Public (EiP) of the Local plan prior to it being adopted by the Council.

Your views are important and a crucial part of the process, in particular supporting the view that the Green Belt boundaries should remain unchanged.

The Consultation and how to respond (which runs up until 29 September) can be viewed HERE or comments can simply be emailed to developmentplanning@havering.gov.uk

 

3 Comments
  1. I am thrilled that the green belt land is being left alone. We are extremely proud of the greenbelt in Upminster, long may it continue.

    • Ellen, still important to contribute to the consultation accordingly. I’m sure developers will be making comments as to why green belt should be released!

  2. Thanks to our Residents Councillors .We enjoy and need our local
    Green Belt.My sincere thanks

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