The current planning requirements of the Government require councils to maintain up to date evidence on the predicted housing and employment land demands which will need to be allocated in Local Plans. The partnership of local councils across Leicester and Leicestershire have just published the latest assessment for the next 20 years which can be found via the link below.
The findings set a challenge for plans to meet signicantly increasing needs. Around a third of the housing growth demand is generated in the City but the constraints of available sites and land here will mean that a strategic approach will need to be taken to meet the need.
The councils are committed to developing a Strategic Growth Plan to shape sustainable future development of the City and County.
Since the Government abolished Regional Spatial Strategies and sub-regional Structure Plans the Government expects Councils to reconcile critical and sensitive issues around location of development and infrastructure through the ‘Duty to Co-operate’.
Assuming the Government don’t change the system in the Housing and Planning Bill expected to be published in the next few weeks, this report will be one of the most important considerations locally for the development of the City and County for some time.