Consultation begins on York's new Local Plan

In December 2016, Planning Potential previously advised on the significant delays to the publication of York City Council’s new Local Plan. After over a year of further work on household and job growth projections, the City Council began a six week consultation on the Publication Draft of the new Local Plan which runs from the 21 February until the 04 April 2018.

York has not had an adopted Plan since 1956 and has relied on The City of York Draft Local Plan (approved April 2005) for development management purposes. Its policies are used to assess proposals where they are considered consistent with those in the NPPF - despite it not forming part of the statutory development plan for the purposes of Section 38 of the 1990 Act.

On the 07 March 2018, during the Prime Minister’s Questions, Theresa May was questioned by the York Central Labour MP Rachael Maskell on the city’s ‘out of control’ housing crisis and when York will receive the social housing they so desperately need. Ms Maskell referred specifically to the authority’s Tory-Lib Dem led coalition failure to deliver a Local Plan, asking for the Prime Ministers intervention.  

Theresa May’s response criticised the City of York Council, "I believe York hasn’t had a Local Plan for 50 years. I suggest she speaks to her council about it,” and sparked a cross party debate with Conservative MP for York Outer Julian Sturdy agreeing with the Prime Minister’s view that the lack of a formalised Local Plan for York has not helped deliver the much needed strategic housing. In defence of the Tory-Lib Dem coalition, MP Julian Sturdy also added that whilst running the Council Labour failed to deliver a Local Plan and that the “current Conservative led council are getting on and delivering a balanced Local Plan, with submission scheduled for June this year.”

With adoption of the new Local Plan not expected until March 2019, it will be interesting to see how the release of the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) impacts the progression of York Council’s ‘much needed’ new Local Plan, and how The City of York Draft Local Plan is applied in the interim.

For further information on how the adoption of the new Local Plan may affect your project contact samuel@planning potential.co.uk