Residents turn out to first Local Plan session

More than 200 residents attended Wyre Forest District Council’s first Local Plan drop-in session yesterday (Monday 10 July) to have their say on important proposals for future development in the district over the next two decades.

The session at Heronswood Primary School in Spennells provided local residents with information and options about where new homes, new employment areas and infrastructure, such as schools and roads might be located to accommodate the district’s growth needs between now and 2034.

Residents were able to view plans, ask questions and give their views on where new development should go. It was the first in a series of sessions to consult residents on Wyre Forest District Council’s draft Local Plan Preferred Options document.

The document sets out two main options.  One option sees additional development concentrated to the east/south east of Kidderminster (Option A). The other option (Option B) would see growth more widely dispersed (particularly around Stourport-on-Severn and adjacent to Lea Castle, Kidderminster).

Leader of Wyre Forest District Council, Councillor Marcus Hart said: “I was delighted with the number of residents that turned up to participate in the Local Plan consultation and look at the various options and ask questions and make comments.

“I personally spoke with many local residents and was happy to hear their feedback and stressed the importance of local residents having their say on where they wanted to see the housing growth be accommodated across the district over the next 17 years and that this was a genuine consultation."

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Regeneration Ian Hardiman said:  "It is important for the district to have an up to date Local Plan to direct development to where we want to see it and defend against it where we don’t, but this means we will have some difficult choices to make as we simply do not have enough brownfield land to accommodate our housing need and will inevitably mean we will have to release a small amount of Geenbelt land for development."

The next drop-in session will take place in the Wyre Room at St George’s Hall,  Bewdley, on Wednesday 19 July, with further sessions taking place around the district throughout July and August.

For people who can’t get to a drop-in session, the full details on the options are available at www.wyreforestdc.gov.uk/localplanreview . They can also be viewed at the Worcestershire Hub, Vicar Street, Kidderminster and in libraries in the district.

People can submit comments and feedback via email to LPR@wyreforestdc.gov.uk or by post to Planning Policy Team, Wyre Forest District Council, Wyre Forest House, Finepoint Way, Kidderminster, WORCS, DY11 7WF. The deadline for responses is 5pm on Monday 14 August 2017. 

The full list of drop in sessions is below:

The Preferred Options Consultation is part of the process the Council has to follow to eventually adopt a new Local Plan to replace the current one which was adopted in 2013. The process began with consultation in 2015 on the broad Issues and Options and will end when the Local Plan is adopted in early 2019.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is the document published by the Government setting out the national policies to guide the delivery of sustainable development and is the framework that Councils must follow to ensure that they are able to adopt their Local Plans. The Local Plan needs to look ahead for a period usually of at least 15 years.