Help shape the future of Northumberland

Northumberland residents and businesses have another opportunity to give their views on where future development should take place in the county.
County Hall in MorpethCounty Hall in Morpeth
County Hall in Morpeth

Northumberland County Council is launching the first public consultation on a new Local Plan for the area.

The online survey will allow residents to identify general locations for new housing and jobs, and to identify what key issues the plan should address.

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This initial consultation is an interactive survey, which allows people to mark which areas they feel are the most appropriate places for housing and employment development.

The online survey can be viewed at www.northumberland.gov.uk/localplan or by picking up a paper copy from any library or council customer information centre in Northumberland. This initial consultation will run from today until Wednesday, May 2.

The Local Plan provides a framework to guide and promote the future development of homes and employment sites in Northumberland, while supporting sustainable communities and protecting the county’s unique countryside.

Coun Peter Jackson, leader of Northumberland County Council said: “I am very pleased to launch this first consultation on a new Local Plan for Northumberland - giving people across the county a say in where they would like to see new homes and jobs.

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“The Local Plan is an extremely important document for the future of our county, and we are committed to producing a sound and deliverable strategy in timely way to help guide and manage future development..

“We withdrew the previous plan because of serious public concerns and a lack of confidence that it would never be approved.

“We have introduced a variety of measures to accelerate production of this new Plan, and we have made significant progress. We expect this to lead to a shorter overall timetable, including a further reduction of two to three months, as set out in the recent letter from Government.”

Coun John Riddle, cabinet member for planning, housing and resilience, added: “We are committed to working with local communities to deliver a Plan which local people want and one that also has widespread support.

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“We need to improve the housing choice across Northumberland to meet the diverse needs of existing and future communities - but we want to build these homes in the right places.

“This means we can also ensure that vital community facilities such as schools, GP surgeries, roads and public transport links are in place to support existing and new residents.

“An important part of the Plan will be promoting economic growth. The Plan will need to ensure that land is available to support new employment opportunities and that the right jobs can be provided in the right places for local residents.

“I encourage everyone to have their say on these issues through this consultation.”

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The Local Plan will guide decisions on whether or not planning applications should be granted permission and give the council power to refuse inappropriate development. It will also provide clarity to the community, landowners, developers and investors.

There will be consultation on a full draft of the new Northumberland Local Plan this summer, with the opportunity to review and comment on a more detailed version.