After many years of work, the draft Local Plan has been published for public consultation which commences on 9th January.
The Local Plan brings together proposals around housing, environment, development, economic growth and transport, looking at these as one big picture. This is also a strategy for future growth and change through to 2039.
The new plan has been called ‘ambitious but realistic’ and includes plans that will enable 35,700 homes to be built and 43,000 new jobs to be created. At the heart of the plan is commitment to affordability and sustainability, with the right supporting infrastructure.
Sheffield Labour’s commitment is to build more homes on brownfield sites, and closer to the city centre. The plan draft will protect the Green Belt and urban green spaces creating connected, sustainable housing. In line with Labours commitment to make Sheffield carbon net-zero by 2030; the draft plan contains a commitment from 2025 for new homes to produce 80% lower emissions than those built to current standards and be net-zero carbon by 2030.
Council Leader Terry Fox:
“First and foremost, this is a Plan for the people of Sheffield. It will have implications for how all of us live our lives, setting how and where the city will develop over the next 15-20 years. Labour councillors’ priority is to create a city where the benefits of development are felt across all communities and this new Plan can help us achieve that.
“Poor housing is often at the root of inequality, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to truly tackling this and providing a high standard for all our neighbourhoods, whilst ensuring that the city’s green spaces are protected.
“The new plan is ambitious but realistic. It includes plans that will enable 35,700 homes to be built and 43,000 new jobs to be created. I am pleased that, through this Plan, we are able to do this without undermining the green character of the city. The Climate Emergency has played a key role in shaping our overall approach.
“We recognise that it cannot be right to focus on building lower density housing on the edge of the city – as many developers and landowners would like us to do – when there is so much brownfield land in the city that can be brought back into effective use. Focussing future growth in the existing built-up areas and raising overall densities is not only the right thing to do when presented with the environmental challenges we face today, but this approach will also, ultimately, make neighbourhoods better places to live, helping us to reduce the need to travel and improve public transport, shops and local facilities.
“Clearly public transport is not delivering for city currently, but this should not limit our ambition, or detract away from the connectivity we are striving for. We have developed a Sheffield Plan that is for the here-and-now but also the future – playing a significant role in creating a truly sustainable city.
“You’ll see that Sheffield’s vision for tackling inequalities, and providing secure, respected and connected neighbourhoods are front and centre of this plan. So too is our climate responsibility which underpins this entire document. We are determined to secure the right housing, infrastructure and support for all our residents, so they can live their lives fully, independently, securely and with dignity. These requirements are not optional or extras – they are at the heart of our communities and the city we will build together”
The draft Local Plan documents can be found here, together with a link to the webcast to view the discussions.