Liverpool residents are being given an extra month to have their say on the future growth and development of the city.
Consultation on Liverpool’s Local Plan – which aims to provide the housing, business, industrial units and infrastructure the city needs over the next 15 years – was due to end on 31 March, but the city council has extended the deadline to Wednesday 30 April.
The extension aims to give as many individuals and groups as possible the chance to air their views and influence the development of the plan, which will guide the on-going growth of the city over the coming years.
It also aims to give all those who wish to make comments the chance to take into account the Government’s new National Planning Practice Guidance, which was published on 27 March.
Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Councillor Malcolm Kennedy, said: “Everybody in Liverpool has a stake in our Local Plan, because it will be instrumental in how our city looks, grows and develops in the future. Whether you have views on the amount and types of housing Liverpool needs, think we need better open spaces or want to see steps taken to protect our heritage, it’s crucial you have your say.
“The development of such an important plan needs to be influenced by the views of local people, and many people have contacted us to ask if they can have a bit more time to formulate their comments. That’s why we’re extending the consultation, to give everybody the chance to contribute to the process.
“Our final Local Plan document will include specific sites for development, so it’s important that people get involved at this stage. We want this consultation to be as inclusive as possible, and we are asking all sections of the community to get involved, share their views and help us deliver a plan which can drive the city forward.”
To have their say, people should visit www.liverpool.gov.uk/consultation and follow the link. There is the option of providing a ‘quick comment’ on what they would like to see in the plan, or of providing a more detailed response by answering a series of questions on housing, employment and development using a more detailed feedback form.
Liverpool’s Local Plan is aimed at delivering over 40,000 new homes and 300 hectares of land for industrial and commercial use by 2028, and the consultation gives people the chance to have a direct input into future planning policy by sharing their views on what the plan should contain.
Views are being sought on a range of planning issues, from the management of certain types of development such as student housing and hot food takeaways, to the provision of open space; and from the design of new homes and shopping areas to the protection of the historic environment.
Through the consultation there is also a ‘Call for Sites’, with people being asked to air their views on locations where development should happen, sites which should not be developed, and areas which should be developed carefully.
The areas which Liverpool’s Local Plan will cover include:
• Allocating sufficient land to meet housing, business and other development needs
• Setting out opportunities for development
• Determining clear policies on what will and will not be permitted
• Indications of broad locations for strategic development and allocating specific sites for development
• A clear strategy for enhancing the natural, built and historic environment
As well as being available on-line, consultation forms are also available at community libraries or can be obtained by calling 0151 233 3021.
The extended Local Plan consultation runs until 30 April 2014. The final Local Plan document is expected to be adopted by the city in late 2015 or early 2016.