On 24 January 2023, Huntingdonshire District Council's Cabinet agreed to the preparation of a full update to the adopted Local Plan which will set out a plan for how the district will grow over future decades.
This will include starting the process of producing new local evidence and opportunities for public engagement and feedback as the plan progresses.
What is a Local Plan?
A Local Plan sets out a plan for future sustainable development in the district. It performs two specific roles:
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It identifies key areas of land for development to deliver the homes, jobs and services needed in the district, and
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Includes policies against which all planning applications are considered.
The Local Plan is the document by which all development in the district is judged, it provides the basis for what can happen, where it can happen and when it can happen.
Why does the Local Plan need to be updated?
The council's current Local Plan to 2036 was adopted on 15 May 2019 identifying sufficient land for new homes, jobs, facilities, infrastructure, and open spaces to meet known needs.
Town and Country Planning Regulations state that the local planning authority must review it every five years starting from the date of adoption. Additionally, planning legislation has changed nationally so updating the adopted Local Plan is key to ensure it reflects the priorities of the district and local communities and legislation.
The Local Plan alongside Neighbourhood Plans and the Minerals and Waste Local Plan will continue to be used to determine planning applications until the updated Local Plan is completed.
Local Development Scheme
A replacement Local Development Scheme [PDF, 0.5MB] was approved by Cabinet on 21 March 2023, to accompany preparation and set out the scope of work for the Local Plan Update.
It provides a summary of the plan-making process and an indicative timetable highlighting engagement opportunities to be offered during preparation of the Local Plan Update.
Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report
The Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report sets baseline information for Huntingdonshire to inform the development of sustainability objectives to test the Local Plan against.
Public engagement
There are no consultations currently open for comment.
Completed consultations
Consultation on a Statement of Community Involvement and Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report ran from 1 February to 15 March 2023.
Consultation on the Land Availability Assessment Methodology and Settlement Hierarchy Methodology ran from 29 March to 10 May 2023.
The Call for Sites ran from 29 March to 7 June 2023. Further details can be found on the Call for Sites webpage.
The Issues Engagement Papers consultations ran from 26 April to 5 July 2023. There were 3 options to help people respond, comments on the consultations can be viewed by visiting the links below:
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The Issues Engagement Paper - an in-depth look at the issues including detailed questions to encourage comprehensive responses
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The Issues Summary Paper - a quick look at the headline issues, with one or two open questions to get opinions
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The Issues Easy Read Version - a simplified document with tick box questions.