Cabinet agrees next steps for Wiltshire Local Plan review

Wiltshire Council's Cabinet has today (Tuesday 1 December) agreed the next steps for the Local Plan review, with consultation due to start in the new year.

The Local Plan will set out where future developments - such as housing and businesses - may be built within Wiltshire up to 2036, and will be used to guide decisions on whether future planning applications can be granted or not.

Cabinet agreed that the consultation on the Local Plan review can begin in the new year, when people's comments can help to shape the draft plan before any decision is made on where to allocate housing, employment and other infrastructure.

This consultation includes possible growth in each of the county's main towns and city, a planning framework for rural areas, and the opportunity to ask questions about how the council's planning policies can be shaped to address climate change. It builds on earlier consultations with councillors, council partners and the public.

Cllr Toby Sturgis, Cabinet Member for Planning, said: "The Local Plan review consultation will take place in early 2021, and is a chance for people to have their say on the possible areas of growth in Wiltshire, before proposals are finalised in the draft Local Plan, later next year.

"If land is identified in the consultation documents as possible options for development, this does not necessarily mean it will be taken forward. We would like to hear people's views on the suitability of these possible options before setting out any development allocations.

"We recognise the importance of planning for climate change, as we seek to make the county of Wiltshire carbon neutral, and this will also form a key part of the consultation.

"Restrictions due to COVID-19 mean that we're unable to hold face-to-face events, so we'll be holding some consultation events online. We'll have more details about these events, and how people can get involved, in the coming weeks.

"We recognise that communities will want to have a say about where any development may take place. However, although people can view the documents for the Local Plan review online, we won't be capturing any comments until the consultation period begins early next year, so people should wait until then to send us their comments."

For each main town and city in the county, the council will consult on the amount of additional new homes and land for employment development proposed up to 2036. People will be able to have their say on whether the changes to the rates of development growth are too high, or too low and what opportunities there are.