Chelmsford Local Plan modifications go out to consultation

A seven-week-long public consultation into changes made to Chelmsford City Council’s Local Plan began on Thursday 1st August 2019.

Every local authority in the country has a Local Plan. The document suggests sites where new homes and jobs could be created. It also sets out what infrastructure is needed to ensure that new developments are well-supported, such as schools, transport, green spaces and healthcare facilities.

A Local Plan takes years to research and draw up, with several rounds of public consultation feeding into a draft. Thousands of comments have been taken from members of the public, experts and developers to create Chelmsford’s Local Plan, which covers the period from now until 2036.

Earlier this year, one of the government’s independent planning inspectors reviewed Chelmsford’s draft plan and identified some changes that needed to be made in order to make it ‘sound’. These are called the Main Modifications. They involve changes or additions to policies and text which are essential before the Local Plan can be adopted.

Everybody is now welcomed to comment on these modifications before consultation closes on 19 September. The planning inspector will consider all the comments made relating to the modifications before issuing her final report on the examination of the Local Plan.

A spokesperson for Chelmsford City Council said, “The aim of a Local Plan is to get the right type of development in the right places to meet the growing needs of local people and businesses, while also protecting our environment. The policies in the plan will be used to determine future planning applications, so it’s a really important document. It affects everybody who lives or works in Chelmsford, so please do have your say before the deadline of 19 September.”

Residents and interested parties can find out more online using the consultation portal. Visit www.chelmsford.gov.uk/planningpolicyconsult to read the documents, sign up for alerts about future consultations, and find out how to make your comments.

You can register at any time. Using the portal means comments can be quickly and accurately recorded.

You can also find more information and documents which you can download during the consultation period at https://www.chelmsford.gov.uk/planning-and-building-control/planning-policy-and-new-local-plan/new-local-plan/local-plan-examination/. To get in touch, email [email protected] or call 01245 606330.

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