Lichfield District Council chiefs say they will be recommending scrapping the draft Local Plan and not the current one.
The local authority had yesterday (24th August) told residents that the “current” document would be axed in order to pursue an alternative vision.
But council chiefs have today sought to clarify the situation by saying it is the draft Local Plan which is being revisited.
Cllr Alex Farrell, cabinet member for housing and Local Plan, said:
“It is clear to me that our proposed new Local Plan is not suitable, and I’d like to see a new approach to housing that suits our local communities.
“We want to explore the idea of a new settlement in the district, as opposed to the current approach that is suffocating local communities with a disproportionate amount of housebuilding without sufficient infrastructure.
“It’s clear that the proposed new Local Plan 2040, which was submitted for examination last year, was not appropriate given both the changes that we have seen – and continue to see take place – in government national policy in the four years since it was initiated, plus the level of dissatisfaction we heard from residents about it in its current form.
“It became evident that the proposed Local Plan no longer resonates with the evolving needs of our district, and we needed to change.”
Cllr Alex Farrell, Lichfield District Council
A council spokesperson confirmed that the current adopted Local Plan remains in place, with the draft new document being considered for withdrawal.
The previous Local Plan 2040 proposals had set out a range of potential locations for new housing developments, but had not included the proposed new settlement at Whitemoor Lakes in Alrewas.
Cllr Farrell said the council needed to take a new direction.
“It’s clear that the submitted Local Plan was not appropriate given both the changes that we have seen – and continue to see take place – in government national policy in the four years since it was initiated, plus the level of dissatisfaction we heard from residents about it in its current form.
“It became evident that the incumbent Local Plan no longer resonates with the evolving needs of our district, and we needed to change.
“We only have two options. One, we progress with the currently submitted plan, or two, regroup and build a strong, strategic vision for the district that people can support and adopt.
“We recommend that we take the second option to deliver a strategy that is appropriate for the district today, and in the future, and therefore our recommendation is to withdraw the current plan and work in consultation with our residents and stakeholders to develop a new approach.”Cllr Alex Farrell, Lichfield District Council
The recommendation for withdrawal of the current Local Plan will be discussed by the Cabinet before being taken to a meeting of the full council on 17th October.
