Â鶹ÊÓƵ

A new draft Local Plan will be put before Â鶹ÊÓƵ's Cabinet next week.

Members will be asked to approve the updated blueprint for development in the Borough, so that public consultation can begin.

The Local Plan will provide a framework for where new homes, businesses, shops and leisure facilities will be built over the next 15 years, and ensure that the right infrastructure, such as roads and schools, is in place to support growth.

The latest 'Regulation 18' draft is one of several formal stages that a Local Plan must pass through by law, prior to adoption.

Cllr Margaret Meling, Lead Member for Economic Growth, Skills and Climate Change, said: "It's vital that we have an up-to-date plan so that we maintain control over development in the borough; without one, we are vulnerable to development being imposed upon us.

"It isn't just about where things are built, but how they are built. Without a plan we don't have the policies in place to ensure the quality of development that our communities deserve.

"The plan has to deliver maximum benefits for all sections of our community, now and in the future.

"A local plan isn't just about building houses; it is about the fundamental fabric of the place in which we live. We want to create neighbourhoods that last a lifetime.

"We want people who grow up in South Tyneside to be able to stay here, with access to affordable housing and skilled jobs.

"The plan gives us the opportunity to enhance our assets, create better wildlife corridors, improve sustainable development and reduce emissions."

A local housing needs assessment, which addresses projected household growth and any historic undersupply, has concluded that a minimum of 321 new homes per year are needed.

Previous development plans have largely been able to protect the Green Belt by accommodating development needs within built-up areas and reusing brownfield sites, however there is now an acute undersupply of suitable land from non-Green Belt sources.

The current Plan therefore proposes to redraw the Green Belt to allocate Urban and Village Sustainable Growth Areas at Whitburn, Cleadon, East Boldon and West Boldon and Wardley. In addition, it has identified land south of Fellgate as a Sustainable Urban Extension.

Cllr Meling continued: "Under current legislation, we have a statutory obligation to meet our future housing targets and that means we have had to look at all options to accommodate development.

"We continue to prioritise and actively promote the development of brownfield sites first; 1513 homes are allocated on brownfield land in this plan, with a further 837 already having planning permission.

"However, we are heavily constrained by Green Belt which accounts for around a third of the borough.

"We are proposing to remove seven per cent of the overall Green Belt, which would still leave a substantial area of approximately 2,100 hectares."

Subject to cabinet approval of the draft, a six-week public consultation period will follow.

Cllr Meling added: "This is about making the Borough a thriving, attractive and prosperous place to live, work and visit, which benefits us all."