Councillors to Vote on Blueprint for Development

A blueprint for future development in South Tyneside will next week be considered at an extraordinary meeting of Borough Council.

Councillors will be asked to approve the draft Local Plan so that it can be submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination in public - the final stage before it is legally adopted.

The Local Plan will provide a framework for where new homes, businesses, shops and leisure amenities will be built up until 2040, and ensure that the right infrastructure, such as roads, health facilities and schools, is in place to support growth.

The 'Regulation 22 publication draft' previously came before Borough Council last September but was not endorsed. Since then, a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) has been published.

Under the new NPPF, the Standard Method for calculating housing need has changed and provides a local housing target for the Borough of a minimum of 623 homes a year - more than double the 309 units planned for in the current draft Local Plan.

However, under transitional arrangements, if the Plan were submitted for examination before 12 March 2025, it could progress under the old framework, meaning it would not be required to meet the higher housing need figure.

The new planning framework and submission deadline are considered exceptional circumstances to bring the Plan back before Council.

Cllr Margaret Meling, Lead Member for Economic Growth and Transport said: "The decision before us is now really quite stark.

"If the current Plan is not approved and submitted to the Secretary of State before 12 March, we will have to go back to the drawing board and allocate land for 623 homes a year rather than 309.

"Over the plan period this could mean finding at least 200 hectares of land over and above that already earmarked.

"We have a brownfield first policy, but the reality is there is very limited scope for further development on brownfield sites, so it is likely that the additional 5,300 homes that would be needed to accommodate higher housing need under a revised plan would require land currently in Green Belt.

"I hope that those residents and members previously opposed will take the opportunity to reconsider and now support the existing draft Plan."

The current Publication Draft, which has been subject to two statutory public consultations, proposes to remove five per cent of land from the Green Belt.

It allocates 27 sites which would accommodate 1190 homes in the Main Urban Area, leaving a further 2253 houses to be accommodated outside this area, including allocating land south of Fellgate as a Sustainable Growth Area for up to 1,200 new homes and supporting community infrastructure.

Cllr Meling added: "Having a Local Plan is vital so we maintain control over development in the borough; without one, we are vulnerable to speculative development proposals

"As a consequence of not having an up-to-date development plan that identifies sufficient housing sites to meet the borough's housing needs, we have a significant shortfall in the supply of housing.

 "But it isn't just about building houses; it's about seeking the most sustainable locations for development, creating the kind of communities our residents deserve, with policies in place to protect community facilities and services, enhance nature and wildlife and reduce pollution.

"We want people who grow up in South Tyneside to be able to stay here, with access to affordable housing and skilled jobs."

In 2022, the council received almost 1,900 responses during consultation at the Regulation 18 stage and that feedback was taken on board and reflected where possible and appropriate.

Last year, public consultation on Regulation 19 - which determines if the Plan is 'sound' and has been prepared legally - attracted a further 384 representations.

The extraordinary meeting of Borough Council will be held at 10am on 27 February.