Consultation into Liverpool planning strategy to end

8 Mar 2010, 10:58

Michael Hunt

A consultation over a new plan to guide the future of development in Liverpool is heading into its final week.

Liverpool City Council's core strategy review sets out the council's vision for planning in the city up to 2026, and the policies to deliver that vision. It sets out areas of the city that will be the focus for new housing, employment and retail development.

The main aims of the plan are:

To deliver 40,800 new houses up to 2026
Maximise economic growth, especially in the city centre
Invest in district and local shopping areas
Provide high quality and accessible green spaces
Protect important historic buildings
Adapting to the effects of climate change
Improve accessibility and managing demand for travel

The council's preferred approach for delivering the vision will mean 70% of new housing will be delivered in the city centre and inner areas, which is the area covered by the Housing Market Renewal Initiative surrounding the city centre with the remainder focused on housing estates in the outer area.

This approach will:

Allow for some new housing in the regeneration fringes
Provide an opportunity to build family houses with gardens
Result in some impact on open spaces in the inner areas
Provide an opportunity to redevelop vacant and derelict land across the city
Result in population growth in the inner and outer areas to sustain local services

When adopted, the core strategy will form part of Liverpool local development framework, the statutory development plan for the city. The current plan for the city is the unitary development plan which was adopted in 2002.

The English planning system was changed in September 2004, which means that the unitary development plan will be replaced by a new range of policy documents to be known together as the local development framework.

Local people, community groups, businesses and the council's partners are being consulted on whether they feel this is the best approach to deliver the vision for the city. Following this, the council will prepare a final version of the core strategy, taking into account views expressed during the consultation, which will be submitted to the Secretary of State for examination, before adoption by the council.

The document is available on the Liverpool City Council website until Monday 15 March. To view and comment on the document visit the local development framework section of the council's website

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