Call For Sites - Consultation opens 5th June 2015

The Council has launched a ‘Call for Sites’ process, where landowners, developers and the public are asked to submit proposals for the future use of land in Hyndburn to the Council.

The 'Call for Sites' is an early chance for people and organisations to suggest sites within the Borough for development and all suggestions will play a key part in shaping the Council’s new Local Plan, the long-term (15-20 years) development plan for the Borough.

The Council has already adopted a Core Strategy, part of the new Local Plan, which sets out the long-term vision, objectives and planning policies tor future development in the Borough. However the key supporting document will be a Site Allocations plan. This will support the delivery of the Core Strategy by allocating sites for a wide variety of uses, including housing, employment, retail, recreation and community uses over the next 15-20 years.

The ‘Call for Sites’ process is the way to identify appropriate sites to help shape the Site Allocations plan. Sites that are submitted by the relevant date will also feed into evidence base reports being prepared in support of the Site Allocations plan.

The ‘Call for Sites’ process opens on Friday 5th June 2015 and the deadline for submission of sites is:

· Friday 31st July 2015 – for consideration in the Employment Land Study;

· Friday 30th October 2015 – for consideration in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment;

Although the Council will accept submissions beyond these dates for consideration in the Site Allocations plan, it is very much the case of ‘the earlier the better’ for full consideration of sites in the plan making process. The Council will publish a final deadline for submissions when a formal timetable on the Site Allocations is agreed.

The ‘Call for Sites’ exercise will not in itself determine whether a site should be allocated for development or not. A decision will only be made formally through the Local Plan process and Site Allocations DPD. In the meantime planning applications will continue to be determined in accordance with the Hyndburn Core Strategy (2012), Accrington Area Action Plan (2012) and relevant saved policies from the Borough of Hyndburn Local Plan (1996).

To submit a site to be considered just complete and return the Council’s Call for Sites Submission Form (available at www.hyndburnbc.gov.uk/callforsites from Friday 5th June), remembering to include a clear plan showing the full site boundary.

Email the completed form to: darren.tweed@hyndburnbc.gov.uk; or post to Plans and Environment, Hyndburn Borough Council, Scaitcliffe House, Ormerod Street, Accrington BB5 0PF.