Consultation opens into Liverpool Local Plan
The 300-page draft development strategy for Liverpool to 2033 has been published, which outlines plans to deliver 29,000 homes over the next 15 years, prioritising the protection of parks and construction on brownfield plots.
A six-week consultation into the plan is now open, and ends on 31 October. A draft copy of the Plan and all response forms are available at http://liverpool.gov.uk/localplanconsultation.
The consultation seeks feedback on the priorities to grow the city’s economy up to 2033, such as identifying and protecting land for jobs, retail development and housing.
The Plan is still being formed; while evidence has been found for the quantity of new homes needed across the city, research is ongoing into employment land requirements, and open space.
The key priorities in the draft Local Plan are:
- Protect all of Liverpool’s parks for the future health and wellbeing of citizens
- Prioritise brownfield sites to allow creation of 29,600 homes by 2033
- Identify and protect brownfield over 100 hectares of land for economic growth/ regeneration / job creation
- Focus shops and services within district and local shopping centres
- Limit the concentration of Hot-Food Take-aways
- Direct new student accommodation development and control an over concentration of houses in multiple occupation
The plan outlines the following spatial priorities:
- Focus development in the city’s key employment areas including North Liverpool, city centre (including the Knowledge Quarter), Stonebridge, Gillmoss, Aintree, central Liverpool, South Liverpool (including Speke and Garston), and the enterprise zones Mersey Waters and Liverpool City
- Prioritising district and local centres as the location for investment in local retail and service facilities
- Supporting the growth of financial, business and professional services sector, knowledge-based and creative industries, and prioritising the city centre as the location for regionally significant comparison goods retailing and culture, leisure and tourism activities
- Ensuring sustainable and attractive residential neighbourhoods across the city
- Supporting the sustainable growth of Liverpool Airport and Port of Liverpool
Cllr Malcolm Kennedy, cabinet member for regeneration, said: “Liverpool’s Local Plan is a roadmap for the city’s growth. It demonstrates our commitment to building new homes, attracting new jobs and critically, protecting our parks and opening up new ways for future generations to enjoy them.
“Everyone living and working in Liverpool will be affected by this plan and what it sets out to achieve – which is a healthier and more prosperous city – and we want to hear from as many people as possible in this consultation to help us fine tune those aims.”
Liverpool’s population is expected to rise to just short of half a million people by 2033 and the draft plan, which has been in development with numerous agencies since February 2013, has identified 81 detailed policies to manage this growth. An initial stage of consultation on the draft Local Plan occurred in early 2014 and according to Liverpool City Council the feedback from that process has been incorporated where possible.
The proposals include identifying a series of corridors for walking, cycling and the linking of wildlife areas.
Once the consultation is completed a final version of the Local Plan will then be independently assessed from next summer.
Subject to any legal challenges it will then be adopted by the city council in late 2017.
I believe this Plan should be more ambitious in its ideas. They just seem to be recycled from other agenda’s and stalled projects, for a start, raising the population to “near” 500,000 by 2033. That’s approximately about 1,300 new residents a year, based on some “Population estimates”, What are LCC going to do, to encourage more growth, kidnap people to live here?
It just seems woefully low and its needs to aim higher.
Shows the lack of major growth and development by LCC, it has a feel of being frightend to be bold and adventurous, no wonder we lose out to other cities in so many things. Liverpool has been at the fore front of so many schemes in the past, yet the current City Fathers look weak and pale in their visions for the future.
By Man on bicycle
BikeMan: why does Liverpool’s population necessarily have to grow though? I’d be much happier knowing that LCC are prioritising making the city a great place to live, rather than getting carried away with bringing in more and more residents (like some other north-west cities seem to be obsessed with).
I will have to have a thorough read to see how much they are doing this though.
By zebith
Zebedee, good point, the population is close to 500k now, so it shows how out of date their plans are. What my gripe is that they are thinking too small in everything for the City, not just it’s population, we need growth for it to develop and nourish, new blood etc, otherwise it’s a slow spiral down just like the 80’s up until the 00’s when a new dawn approached. Also with a higher population, I believe more funding from central government appears, or beware of even more cuts if the populace decreases.
By Man on bicycle
Half a million people by 2033 is not very ambitious.This is the reason why our great cities other than London are performing poorly economically. Liverpool is a great city with a history of trading and industry. People seem satisfied for it to become another theme park city like York, or Chester.There are only so many trips to the Cavern and coach tours of terraced houses where Ringo Starr used to live,most people can stomach.
By Elephant