Council chiefs will decide next week whether to push ahead with a proposal to build thousands of new homes across Lichfield and Burntwood by 2040.
The Local Plan 2040 was initially deferred to allow Lichfield District Council to assess proposals against its own climate change targets.
But a meeting of the local authority’s cabinet next week will decide whether or not to submit the document to the next stage of the process of it being formally adopted.
Among the detail within the Local Plan 2040, which covers the period from 2018, are details of how many homes will need to be built – and where:
The Local Plan 2040 document explains why it is proposed that 3,500 more homes than are needed are being proposed.
“This demonstrates the provision of approximately 13,300 dwellings through the Local Plan.
“Such supply is in excess of the minimum housing requirement of 9,727 homes identified – this ‘buffer’ provides flexibility in the housing supply across the plan period which will ensure that should circumstances change and a development is not delivered or is delivered at a slow rate than anticipated the housing requirement is still delivered.”
Local Plan 2040 report to Lichfield District Council’s cabinet
The report also reveals the reasoning behind the minimum number of new homes required to meet future population growth.
“By 2040 a minimum of 9,727 dwellings will be planned for. This consists of 7,062 to meet our local housing need and 2,665 homes towards meeting the unmet housing needs arising from the Greater Birmingham and Black Country housing market area.”
Local Plan 2040 report to Lichfield District Council’s cabinet
A report from Cllr Iain Eadie, cabinet member for the Local Plan at Lichfield District Council, has also outlined the risks of not pushing ahead with the process.
“A delay in submission could increase the risk of the council being vulnerable to applications for development which do not accord with the adopted Local Plan and that these might be lost at appeal, given the commitment to submit a new Local Plan by the end of December 2021.
“The Government has also reiterated the requirement for local planning authorities to have up to date plans in place by December 2023 and that they will intervene where plans are not in preparation.”
Cllr Iain Eadie, Lichfield District Council
The meeting of Lichfield District Council’s cabinet will take place on Tuesday (10th May).
