About the Local Plan

We are currently developing a new Local Plan for South Tyneside.

This is an important document as it will set out how we will meet the area's future social, economic and environmental needs.

It will be used to assess development proposals. 

These pages explain more about what our emerging Local Plan is and provides answers to some of the key questions you may have.

You can read the draft Local Plan and evidence documents at Local Plan documents, assessments and evidence.

Consultation on the Regulation 19 draft Local Plan (2024)

We carried out consultation on the draft Local Plan (Regulation 19) between Monday 15 January and Sunday 3 March 2024.

This consultation represented the final stage before the South Tyneside Local Plan, its accompanying evidence, and all submitted comments are sent to a government planning inspector for independent examination.

As part of the draft Local Plan consultation, we also carried out consultation on a scoping report for a new supplementary planning document covering the Fellgate Sustainable Growth Area. Comments received will help shape this future document.

For more information on these consultations, see Consultation on the draft Local Plan.

A Local Plan:

• sets out the policies for the sustainable use of land and buildings
• lays the foundations for regeneration and economic growth
• guides decisions about individual developments and planning applications

The aims of the Local Plan are to:

• build a stronger local economy
• support the regeneration of the area
• meet the need for new homes
• tackle climate change
• deliver an environmentally sustainable borough
• promote positive healthy choices 

Local Plans are a legal requirement.

If we don't produce a Local Plan, we will have limited control over the development that is carried out in South Tyneside.

This may result in unsustainable, unplanned and piecemeal developments across the borough, which do not have the necessary infrastructure in place to support them.

Without an up-to-date plan, the government may decide to intervene and take over the writing of the Local Plan.

South Tyneside's existing plan

The South Tyneside Local Development Framework (LDF) is the current Development Plan document for the borough.

However, the LDF is out of date, and does not reflect the government's National Planning Policy Framework.

A new Local Plan is needed to replace the LDF.

National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)

A revised NPPF was re-published on 19 December 2023.

However, because we had already reached the Regulation 19 stage, the new NPPF tells us that we should use the version of the NPPF that was published in September 2023. 

The Local Plan has therefore been prepared in line with the NPPF that was published in September 2023.

Assessments and evidence

A huge amount of work has been carried out to prepare for the Local Plan, with lots of evidence gathered.

This has included assessments of our growth needs, including:

• employment floorspace
• retail capacity
• future housing requirements

We have also carefully studied evidence on Strategic Flood Risk and utilities.

Read the evidence documents produced for the Local Plan

South Tyneside's future needs

South Tyneside needs to provide over 5253 new homes by 2040. 

We must also meet our need for land for employment opportunities. 

Any future growth will also need supporting infrastructure, such as:

• school places,
• access to services,
• green spaces, and
• road network capacity. 

Why a 15-year plan has been chosen

The Local Plan must cover a minimum of 15 years. 

The proposed period of 2023 to 2040 meets this requirement, as the Council expects the plan to be adopted in 2025.

The plan period will allow the Council to plan effectively to meet the borough's long-term development needs.

The Local Plan is central to meeting the current and future needs of all members of our community:   

Homes

Policies within the Local Plan seek to deliver new homes across South Tyneside.

Jobs

We want to support new jobs and businesses, so South Tyneside is an attractive place to work and invest in.  

Young people

We want to make sure young people have access to affordable housing and skilled jobs within the borough.

Supporting an ageing population

We also want to make sure we meet the needs of an ageing population, through delivering:

• new easy access homes,
• sheltered / supported housing, and
• wheelchair accessible homes. 

Health and wellbeing

The Local Plan supports policies which seek to improve the health and wellbeing of its residents, by delivering high quality, accessible and safe environments.   

Community facilities

The Local Plan will also help in our aim to provide excellent community facilities, all of which will support thriving communities.

See more about how we are considering infrastructure needs as part of our work on the Local Plan.

The government has made it clear through their National Planning Policy Framework that they are committed to securing economic growth.

The planning system is central to delivering this growth. 

The Council recognises the benefits of growth, if this is supported by infrastructure, such as new roads, schools and health facilities.

The Local Plan must deliver our strategic priorities for housing, jobs, retail and leisure, through planned sustainable development, which also addresses the needs of the natural environment and our communities. 

At least 309 new homes will be needed each year in South Tyneside. 

This number is based on:

• how the population is expected to grow
• how the number of households is expected to grow
• how jobs are expected to grow
• if there has previously been a lack of new housing
• if more homes are needed in certain areas, because average house prices are not affordable for people who are on an average wage

How housing targets are calculated

To determine the minimum number of homes that are needed we've carried out a local housing need assessment.

This is based on a standard calculation method which is set out by government.

Using this calculation, the local housing needs assessment has concluded that 309 dwellings per year are required during the life of the plan.

The baseline data used in the calculation is based on household projections in 2014, which is in accordance with current national guidance.

The government will be reviewing this method and will be looking to base it on 2021 census data instead.

We're awaiting confirmation when they will be doing this.

Our housing requirement will not be 'locked in' until we submit the Plan.

Types of housing

We also need to make sure we have a mix of new housing built in South Tyneside.

This will be a challenge, but we need to make sure there are homes in the area that are especially:

• accessible and adaptable to meet the needs of our ageing population and those with a disability
• affordable particularly for our young people and local families

The Local Plan sets out policies that aim to achieve this.

For example, we want to keep our young people and local families here. Developers will now have to set aside homes in their plans that are both affordable and suitable.

The Local Plan must meet our need for economic development, ensuring there is a continuous and flexible supply of employment land to meet the borough's needs over the Plan period.

The Local Plan will prioritise economic development in designated Employment Areas, including the Port of Tyne, that are accessible by a range of transport modes.

Development of the green belt

Urban, and previously used land (commonly known as brownfield land), will always be prioritised when looking at places for development.

Sometimes however this is not possible.

For example, in South Tyneside the local housing need is higher than the amount of urban and brownfield land that is actually available.

Therefore, the Local Plan does propose that some green belt land is used for development, potentially for new homes or employment opportunities.

In order to meet the borough's housing and employment needs it is considered that exceptional circumstances exist to justify the release of land from the green belt.

The total area of green belt land in the borough is 2,344 hectares. Of this, the new Local Plan proposes 117 hectares could potentially be developed.

National policy requires the Local Plan to set out ways to offset the impact of removing land from the green belt.

Compensatory measures include improvements to the environmental quality and accessibility of remaining green belt land.

Detailed recommendations have been drawn up for the sites that have been identified for future development in the green belt.

The Local Plan also sets out how it proposes to protect the remaining green belt.

The efficient use of land

The Plan is committed to making the best and most efficient use of land by encouraging the redevelopment of previously developed land and buildings.

This includes supporting regeneration schemes in South Shields Town Centre and allocating brownfield sites for employment and residential development across the borough.

The Plan aims to achieve higher densities in the most sustainable locations with good access to services and public transport.

It also makes an allowance for new sites to come forward unexpectedly in the future.

Use of brownfield land

A brownfield site is an area that has been built on before and tends to be disused or derelict land.

The Council tries to prioritise using this type of land for new developments. For example, more than 1,700 homes are planned for brownfield land.

However, not all brownfield land in the borough is suitable or available for development, which may mean that green belt land needs to be used.

Some brownfield sites are in unsuitable locations for residential development. For example, the site could be in the middle of an industrial estate, or the site may be privately owned and there is no guarantee that the owner intends to sell or develop the site.

The Council are required by government to be able to provide, with a high degree of certainty, enough housing for the first 5 years of the Local Plan.

Many brownfield sites would unfortunately not be available within this time frame. This is because infrastructure needs to be put in place, or the land needs to be decontaminated.

A Site Selection Topic Paper has been produced which identifies different sites and describes their suitability for development.  

Protecting our natural environment

The protection and enhancement of the environment is one of the key objectives of the Local Plan.

If a proposed development could negatively impact the environment, extensive mitigation measures must be put in place.

We have a legal duty to protect our most valuable and sensitive environmental assets.

These will continue to be protected through existing protected areas, such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and Local Wildlife Sites.

Enhancing our natural environment

The Local Plan will also provide us with opportunities to further improve our natural environment and green space.

It also identifies a new Area of High Landscape Value along our coastline. This provides additional protection against inappropriate development in this area. 

Trees and hedges

Trees, woodland and hedgerows are an essential part of our environment.

They provide a habitat for wildlife, enhance our natural landscape, help to reduce flood risk, and offer space for residents and visitors to enjoy the natural world. They can also help with reducing the impact of climate change.

The Local Plan sets out to protect trees and hedgerows as much as possible from development. If they need to be removed, new planting should take place to reduce the impact on the environment.

South Tyneside Council declared a climate emergency on 18 July 2019.

As a Council we recognise the role we have, and are strongly committed, to the global effort to address climate change.  

We are therefore making sure all our strategic decisions and policies will bring about real change. 

We aim to:

• make the Council carbon neutral by 2030
• reduce area wide carbon emissions by 2045
• move to cleaner, greener, renewable sources of energy
• enhance our natural environment

The draft Local Plan takes climate change into consideration and includes a range of policies to help reach these targets. 

The Local Plan must balance the need to grow South Tyneside alongside the climate change agenda.

It must look to deliver sustainable development from the beginning.

Read more about this in the Climate Change Topic Paper.

Flooding

A Strategic Flood Risk Assessment identifies areas in South Tyneside where there is a risk of flooding.

There are no sites identified for development in the Local Plan that have a high flood risk.

To reduce the risk of flooding further, developers will also be asked to prioritise the use of sustainable drainage systems and make sure there is no increase in surface water run-off.                                            

The Council is committed to making sure South Tyneside's heritage assets will continue to be preserved and enhanced.

In preparing for the draft Local Plan, Heritage Impact Assessments have been carried out to look at any potential impact on the borough's much valued heritage assets.

These assessments have informed policies within the draft Local Plan. 

The Council is confident that the proposed level of growth can be accommodated without negatively impacting on the borough's heritage assets.

Infrastructure, such as roads and utilities, will need to be in place before any development starts.

An Infrastructure Delivery Plan will help us to plan for the needs of local people in the future. 

Schools

We must be able to provide enough school places for children who live in South Tyneside.

The area currently has a good supply of schools suitable for all ages, but it is important we can accommodate pupils in the future.

The Infrastructure Delivery Plan examines the potential impact of an increase in pupil numbers on different schools in the area.

Health facilities

Health services have also been considered as part of the development of the Local Plan.

We continue to work with health care providers to look at what extra health facilities may be needed.

Roads / Transport

We have reviewed, in detail, the impact of traffic from sites allocated for development.

We have also considered the future demand for different types of transport.

It is likely that traffic on our roads, as with many parts of the country, will increase. A balanced approach to transport should be taken.

Road improvements will be considered where necessary and possible, however there needs to be a focus on public transport and other means of travel.

The Local Plan particularly supports opportunities for improving existing and new sustainable transport options, such as:

• allocating potential development sites as close to key public transport links as possible
• supporting improvements to the Metro network
• improving cycling and footpath networks

These measures will also help with our work around climate change.

Utilities

Northumbria Water have indicated that the water and sewerage network in the area would be able to manage the future development proposed in the draft plan.

We continue to work closely with all our partners who are responsible for the area's infrastructure.

Consultation on Regulation 19 Publication draft Local Plan (2023 to 2040) took place between Monday 15 January and Sunday 3 March 2024.

Submission and adoption of the Local Plan

The next steps in the process will involve an independent Planning Inspector being appointed by the government to review the Local Plan.

They will consider the plan, its accompanying evidence, along with any comments put forward by local people and other interested parties from the final consultation on the plan.

We expect to submit these for consideration in 2024.

The independent Planning Inspector will then make the final decision on the Local Plan and the development it proposes.

After this, the Council will need to make the formal decision to adopt the Local Plan.

Once the Local Plan is adopted

Once adopted, a review of the Local Plan will take place every 5 years. A new plan will be produced if there are any major changes in circumstances and it is no longer up to date.