Public consultation on draft Local Plan launches January 2021
Dover District Council has welcomed the government’s decision to scrap plans to revise housing targets, which would have seen the number of new homes targeted for development in the Dover district rise from 596 to 1,279 a year.
Cllr Trevor Bartlett, Leader of Dover District Council, said: “This is a common sense decision which is welcomed by communities across the Dover district who contacted me about their concerns with the new target.
“We are open to new development, but it must be proportional and balanced, and reflect local market conditions.
“The proposed changes clearly placed too much pressure on rural and coastal communities and would have ultimately led to poor quality development and loss of green space.”
Dover District Council will now press ahead with the first round of public consultation on its draft Local Plan. The consultation launches online on 20 January 2021 for eight weeks.
The Local Plan sets out the vision and framework for future development in the district for the next twenty years to 2040, addressing the district’s needs and opportunities for housing, the economy, community facilities, and infrastructure.
The Local Plan also provides the basis for conserving and enhancing the natural and historic environment, mitigating and adapting to climate change, and achieving well designed places.
Note to editors:
The National Planning Policy Framework (2019) requires local authorities to plan for the minimum number of homes needed, based on the Standard Method calculation set out in national planning guidance. For the Dover district, this currently equates to delivering 596 new homes a year or a minimum of 11,920 new homes over a 20-year period.
Posted on 17 December 2020