COUNTY HALL – East Riding Council has been told by the Labour government it must plan for almost twice as many new homes as it was expecting just a year ago.
The authorities housing target has been increased from around 1,100 homes to 1,998. They won’t all be built in Beverley, but as one of the East Riding’s largest towns, it would be surprising if the town wasn’t expected to accommodate some of that growth.
The council has now started work on updating its local plan, one of the most important documents it produces.
This article is the first of a number of explainer guides for local residents who want to engage in or just better understand.
As a former East Riding Councillor and housing campaigner I know very well that this topic is very important to residents who are either looking to protect green space, or frustrated over the lack of housing, affordable or otherwise.
So my aim in writing these explainer guides is to help people have their say and get more involved in the local planning process. Hope you enjoy reading and please don’t hesitate to leave comments or questions.
What is the Local Plan?
The Local Plan is where almost every major planning decision begins. The current plan was adopted in 2016 and covers from 2020 – 2039 and this is what is currently being updated to reflect the increase in planned building.
Before a developer can submit plans for a new housing estate, industrial estate or large commercial development, the council first decides where that type of development could take place. It does that through the Local Plan.
It is much more than a housing document. It sets out how the East Riding should develop over the next twenty years, covering not just housing, but employment, roads, schools, doctors’ surgeries, parks, leisure facilities and the infrastructure needed to support them.
The plan identifies land that could be suitable for future development and land that should remain protected.
Once land has been allocated in the Local Plan, developers can begin submitting planning applications.
Planning permission is not automatic. Councillors can still refuse schemes that fail to meet planning policy, require changes to the design, reduce the scale of developments and impose conditions covering everything from highways improvements to landscaping and environmental protection.
What becomes much harder is refusing development simply because people do not want houses on that particular site. The principle of development has already been established through the Local Plan.
In many ways, the biggest planning decision is often made long before the first planning application appears on the council’s website.
So what’s happening now?
The council’s current Local Plan was only adopted last year and planned for around 1,100 new homes a year.
Following changes to Government housing policy, East Riding must now prepare a new Local Plan based on delivering 1,998 homes annually, an increase of almost 82 per cent.
No sites have been chosen, and no planning applications have been approved, the council is still at the very beginning of the process.
At this stage it is asking residents, businesses and organisations what issues the new Local Plan should address before detailed proposals are prepared.
At the same time, landowners and developers are being invited to suggest sites they believe could be suitable for future development.
Again, this doesn’t mean those sites will be built on.
Every site has to go through a detailed assessment looking at issues such as flood risk, traffic, landscape, wildlife, heritage, access to roads and whether there is sufficient infrastructure to support development.
One detail buried in the supporting documents is particularly interesting.
Developers can contribute towards buildings such as GP surgeries through the planning system, but they cannot fund doctors, nurses or other NHS staff. It’s a distinction that often gets lost whenever new housing developments are discussed.
The consultation closes on 31 August.
There will be further consultations before any sites are allocated, but this is the point where residents have the greatest opportunity to influence the direction of the new Local Plan before options begin to narrow.
Over the next few days, Beverley Review will examine how the council decides which sites are suitable for development, what the evidence says about roads, schools and healthcare, and where Beverley could realistically be expected to grow.
Key takeaways for Beverley residents
- East Riding must now plan for 1,998 new homes every year instead of around 1,100.
- The Local Plan is the document that decides where future development could take place.
- No new housing sites have yet been allocated.
- Developers can now begin putting forward land for consideration.
- A submitted site is not an approved site.
- Once land is allocated in the Local Plan, it becomes much harder to oppose development on that land.
- Residents have until 31 August to comment on the current consultation.
Coming up next we will go into the detail of the plan iteself.