Liverpool launched a six-week public consultation (Friday 9 July) to invite people and businesses to have their final say on the city’s 15-year Local Plan.
Liverpool’s Local Plan sets out how the city would meet the challenges of a predicted population rise of 47,000 people, by creating 35,000 new homes and developing 370 acres of land for 38,000 new jobs.
The draft plan, which was recently endorsed by the city council’s cabinet, has identified 100 detailed policies to manage this growth, building on work to protect the city’s heritage and also includes a new policy for controlling developments in the city centre. It will also enshrine a new robust process to control the number of conversions of properties into homes in multiple occupation (HMO’s).
The council will aim to use the Local Plan to support its recently published City Plan, which is focused on delivering a post-Pandemic recovery that delivers benefits for people from all walks of life. The local plan and City Plan embody the Mayor’s and Cabinet triple lock commitment to better environmental, social and equality standards. Following consultations in 2014, 2016 and 2018, the draft Local Plan was submitted to the Secretary of State in 2018 to be assessed by an independent inspector.
Due to delays exacerbated by Covid, the inspector finally conducted their Examination in Public hearings in October 2020, to test the “soundness” of the plan, at which a series of proposed Main Modifications were identified.
To be found sound, the Local Plan must comply with all necessary legal requirements and pass the tests of ‘soundness’, which require that it should have been positively prepared so that it meets the future development needs of Liverpool and it must be justified, effective and consistent with national policy.
As a result of the inspector’s Main Modifications, the public are now being asked one final time for their feedback, but this time only on these proposed changes.
People can read or download the Combined Schedule of Main Modifications and provide feedback online and by email until 5pm, Monday 23rd August by going to https://liverpool.gov.uk/localplanmainmodifications
Key to Liverpool’s Local Plan is to focus future development on brownfield land and making sufficient provision for regeneration projects and job creation in the city’s key employment areas. The Local Plan will also enforce various area-based masterplans in the Baltic Triangle, Ten Streets, the Commercial District, the Cavern Quarter and the Upper Central area of the city centre.
A Tall Buildings Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) and Public Realm Strategy SPD will also be adopted to supplement the plan. The council is currently preparing them both for public consultation.
After this final public consultation a report will be prepared for the council’s cabinet to adopt the Local Plan. On approval it will then replace the existing Unitary Development Plan 2002 on all planning matters.
Liverpool Local Plan – Key info:
The Local Plan is the key, statutory planning and development policy each local authority is obliged to produce.
It will shape Liverpool’s development needs until 2033 by:
- Allowing the build of nearly 35,000 new homes to meet the needs of a growing population.
- Providing the places to work for an estimated growth in jobs of nearly 38,000 – on nearly 150 hectares (370 acres) or nearly 250 football pitches in area.
- Protecting and managing developments affecting open space and the natural and historic environment of the city so that it is not significantly affected.
- Promoting better quality new homes that are wheelchair accessible, meeting residents needs throughout their lifetime if necessary.
- Increasing the supply of affordable homes.
- Managing the over-concentration of developments such as hot food takeaways and homes in multiple occupation (HMO’s).
- Promoting key development areas especially within the City Centre – protecting the key assets and role of those areas while encouraging and enabling more growth from Baltic Triangle in the South to Ten Streets in the north and the waterfront in the west to Paddington Village in the east.
Councillor Sarah Doyle, Cabinet member for Development and Housing, said:
“Covid has given everyone time to think about what type of growth Liverpool needs, where and who it will benefit – and this Local Plan provides the framework to how this will happen. “This Local Plan sets out to determine how we make Liverpool a healthier and more prosperous city that meet the needs of a changing population, and with our City Plan will help shape Liverpool’s post-pandemic recovery.
“Its impact will be huge because it explores all the key issues and acknowledges the importance of measuring social value in what we do and who we work with. “It reflects on what type of homes and jobs we need as a city to improve community wellbeing, what type of high street we shop in, to how do we enjoy our parks and green spaces and how do we travel between them.
“The public’s feedback has been vital to shaping this plan to date and that will continue to be the case over the coming six weeks.”
