Great Yarmouth Borough Council seeks feedback on its final draft Local Plan

Great Yarmouth Borough Council has published its final draft Local Plan and is inviting people to provide feedback ahead of the plan's submission to the Government for examination.

The Local Plan is a key document which sets out a vision for the future development of the area and details the amount of development which needs to be planned and identifies where that development should go and how it should be delivered. The Local Plan also sets out planning policies which are used to help determine planning applications for development.

The Final Draft Local Plan has been published in accordance with Regulation 19 of The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended). This is a formal stage of preparation of the plan.

Between Friday, December 6, 2024, and Friday, January 31, 2025, there is an opportunity for people to submit comments around whether the plan is legally compliant and meets the tests of soundness in terms of being positively prepared, justified, effective and consistent with national policy. The feedback will be sent to the Government's Planning Inspectorate, alongside the final draft plan, before proceeding to an independent examination. 

Councillor Daniel Candon, Great Yarmouth Borough Council's portfolio holder for Economic Development and Growth, said: ''A huge amount of work has gone into preparing the final draft Local Plan. This strategy document - which has to be reviewed by law alongside new government housing targets - will provide an important planning framework for the borough's future.

''I'd like to thank everyone who took part in the council's public engagement sessions and consultation earlier this year. It provided us with enormously valuable feedback which has helped us shape this final draft plan.

''I would encourage people to have their say in this latest stage as we look to finalise what is a key document, helping shape the future of the borough in the best of interests of everyone who lives, works and visits the area.''

The Local Plan proposes a target of 6,460 new homes over the period to 2041, alongside an additional 38 hectares of development for industrial and business uses. The urban area of Great Yarmouth, Gorleston and Bradwell is proposed to be the main focus for growth, as it delivers approximately 45 per cent of the planned housing growth.

The plan seeks to facilitate the regeneration of several brownfield sites in Great Yarmouth and Gorleston-on-Sea, including sites along the waterfront, alongside the development of sustainable sites on the edge of the urban area.

Caister-on-sea and many of the borough's rural settlements are also proposed to grow to help support the viability of local services and provide housing to meet local needs.

The plan also includes a wide range of strategic and detailed planning policies which will be used to help determine planning applications.

The council is hosting a series of public exhibitions to discuss the content of the plan and provide help to those wishing to make representations.

The drop-in sessions, where planning officers will be on hand to talk about the plan, will take place on:

• Thursday, January 9, 2025, from 10am to 6pm at the Town Hall, Hall Plain, Great Yarmouth, NR30 2QF.
• Monday, January 13, 2025, from 4pm to 9pm at the Old School Village Centre, 2 Green Lane, Bradwell, NR31 8QH.
• And on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, from 4:30pm to 9pm at All Saints Parish Hall, Beach Road, Scratby, NR29 3AJ.

People are also invited to attend an online webinar at 6:30pm on Thursday, December 12, 2024, where there will be a presentation about the plan as well as an opportunity to ask questions.

Those who would like to attend the webinar are asked to register their interest by emailing localplan@great-yarmouth.gov.uk

Alongside the Local Plan, the council is also consulting on its Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Draft Charging Schedule, which proposes a levy on certain types of new developments which will be used to pay for infrastructure improvements in the borough. The consultation closes at midnight on Friday, January 31, 2025.

Information about the plan and the Community Infrastructure Levy can be found at https://localplan.great-yarmouth.gov.uk/ where people can view the documents and provide comments.