The Publication Draft Local Plan was approved at a meeting of Full Council last night
The plan sets out the Council’s strategy for development and growth in Basildon borough up to 2034 and the planning policies that will be applied in assessing planning applications during that period. It determines what will be built where.
Policies in this Local Plan will replace the 2007 Saved Policies from the Basildon District Local Plan adopted in 1998.
The plan will now by published for public consultation from mid-May 2018 and Submission to the Secretary of State by summer 2018.
Cllr Linda Allport-Hodge, Chairman of the Infrastructure, Growth and Development Committee that recommended the plan to council, said: “I am pleased we are now able to publish and submit a Local Plan that does as much as we can, within the very tight limits Government has put on us. This is a long process and not an easy one – we know it is an emotive issue but the best way to protect the borough is too have a plan in place.
“The Local Plan approved by Council sees a fair and equitable distribution of our housing need across Basildon, Billericay and Wickford based on an agreed spatial strategy, it is a fair plan for all corners of the borough.
“This plan achieves growth and defends community spaces, protects against the negative impact of urban sprawl and encourages the right infrastructure.
“We need a plan. At the moment developments that in themselves have little infrastructure requirements have been granted permission. The cumulative effect on the Borough has been devastating. The plan allows us to plan properly and to obtain a community infrastructure levy from developers to pay towards infrastructure. The plan also sets out what infrastructure needs to be delivered with the new homes.
“I thank my fellow councillors for understanding this and recognising the importance of agreeing our own plan rather than having a plan imposed by central Government with no regard for the wishes of local people.”
Key elements of the plan approved by council include:
- Growth must go hand in hand with the infrastructure that will support it, for example the roads, schools and health facilities that will support growing communities
- Brownfield sites have been addressed first to minimise the impact on the Green Belt
- Green Belt land will still make up 59% of the borough after growth has been accommodated, compared with the current 63%
- Introduction of new policies to control air quality, and to require the provision of electric vehicle charging infrastructure
- Identification and protection of local green spaces
- Sites identified for at least 18,180 new homes
- An affordable housing target of 31%, except for the east Basildon site which experiences viability issues where it is set lower at 25%. The policy has been firmed up to stop developers avoiding this obligation
- Economic growth targets will be met in full by concentrating development mainly within the A127 enterprise corridor and within a 32 hectare extension to the east of that corridor delivering 15-20,000 new jobs
- Policies to support the delivery of specialist accommodation for older people and accommodation for adults with disabilities
- Emphasis on design which promotes health and wellbeing
- Provision for the needs of nomadic gypsies, travellers and travelling showpeople by planning for 53 pitches and 3 plots
- A ‘town centre first’ policy to ensure new retail and leisure development has to look to locate into town centres first where sites are available, instead of automatically building new/expanding existing out of town areas
- Improvements to footpaths, cycling and bridleway infrastructure.
For more information please visit www.basildon.gov.uk/localplan
