Burnley's Local Plan on new homes and development locations to be reviewed

The plan, which is written to run until 2032, is regularly monitored to see how well it is performing but every five years there is a legal requirement to undertake a more formal ‘review’ to see whether it needs to be updated.

Burnley Council's executive at its meeting on July 12th will consider this matter following its consideration by scrutiny committee.

The current plan contains 51 polices on a wide range of topics. These include policies on the number of homes required, the acceptable locations for development, design, flooding, environmental protection and wind energy.

The plan includes 43 specific allocated development sites and also includes development boundaries within which most development should take place.

Coun. Mark Townsend, the council’s executive member for economy and growth, said: “In coming to a decision, it’s important to look at the facts on delivery and performance within the current plan. These show, for example, that almost 93% of new homes have been built on previously developed ‘brownfield’ sites. Any development in open countryside outside of the local plan development boundaries is being strictly controlled.

“It’s also important to remember that the preparation of a revised local plan takes many years and is very costly. Plans are also limited in what they can include and the policies they can set by national policy and legislation and, therefore, the outcome of any changes to the plan can’t be guaranteed.

“While plans are written to be as clear as possible, they also need to be flexible as things will inevitably change, locally and nationally, over their lengthy period. The important question is not, has anything changed, but do any changes mean the plan can't operate as intended and/or do they allow a new and improved plan to be prepared?”

Having considered all these matters, the executive is recommended not to pursue an update of the Local Plan at the present time.

All this is taking place as the Government, through its Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, is proposing fundamental changes to the nature of local plans which would require new style plans to be produced to a strict timetable.