Controversial £100m Garden Village plan for this Lancashire town is submitted to Government
A blueprint for a Garden Village of 1,500 new homes in Lancashire has finally been submitted to the Government.
Hyndburn Council’s Local Plan 2021-2040 has been sent to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner for independent examination. The document was originally intended for submission in February 2020 but subject to repeated reviews and revisions.
At is heart it has the deeply controversial £100million scheme for a new Huncoat Garden Village of 1,500 new homes, one of East Lancashire’s biggest ever housing developments. If approved, it would be built on the former Huncoat Power Station and former Huncoat Colliery.
Other proposals which have generated a strong local reaction include its spatial development strategy, climate change. housing numbers, Whitebirk employment sites, Cut Lane in Rishton, employment land south of Altham and Ringstonhalgh Farm Clayton-le-Moors.
The Local Plan sets a goal to build 194 homes each year (3,686 homes in total) by 2040, and to provide 70 hectares of new employment land. A government planning inspector will soon be appointed to conduct an examination into its soundness and legal compliance including holding public hearings.
The Hyndburn Local Plan centres around five strategic objectives:
- to create greater opportunities for all to access improved economic opportunities and to provide higher wage employment;
- to provide for a greater choice and quality of housing
- to improve quality of health and wellbeing and enable residents to lead active lifestyles
- to conserve and enhance the urban and rural environment and address climate change
- to provide easy access for all to good quality services and facilities.
It addresses long-standing issues like high levels of poverty, people moving away for work, and poor housing. It identifies specific areas across the borough for development including 23 housing sites and six employment sites, including major new areas at Altham and Whitebirk.
Hyndburn Council leader Cllr Munsif Dad said: “The submission of the Local Plan 2021-2040 marks a pivotal moment. This comprehensive plan is designed to deliver economic growth, address housing needs and enhance our environment, ensuring a vibrant and sustainable future for all residents. We want to build housing and create employment opportunities that encourage our residents to stay in Hyndburn and attract other to live and work in our borough. An overarching theme which runs through the plan is sustainable development. Creating a sustainable and safe transport system is also a key theme.”