Councillors vote to adopt Local Plan

by Jack Lenton, Biddulph Nub News

Staffordshire Moorlands District Councillors have voted to adopt the Local Plan, which outlines how the area will be developed, in order to comply with Government house building targets.

The plan includes details of over 900 new houses that are to be built in Biddulph between now and 2033, with land being removed from the Green Belt to make room for some of these.

The vote marks a significant milestone for a process that has been with the authority for years. 

Commenting at the meeting, Biddulph town and district Cllr Nigel Yates said: “I would like to take the time to thank all those in Biddulph who worked on the Neighbourhood Plan and presented evidence to the inspector, as well as those who worked to save areas of the Green Belt in Biddulph.”

Following councillors’ comments a named vote was taken at a Zoom meeting with councillors voting in favour of adopting the plan to demonstrate to Government that it can provide an adequate number of new houses in the area over the coming years, which means the council should avoid being subjected to severe planning penalties which the Government can impose on local authorities who cannot show that they have the appropriate housing provisions set out.

The district council’s officers had warned in the past that without a Local Plan in place, areas of the Moorlands could be vulnerable to developers, who could take advantage of the situation to get permission for housing developments in less suitable locations.

To read the report and supporting documents in full, visit the Local Plan page of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council’s website.

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