Flintshire residents need to come up with strong arguments if they wish to object to blueprint for 7,000 houses

People living in Flintshire will need to come up with strong arguments if they wish to object to any elements of a blueprint for around 7,000 new homes, it’s been warned.

It comes as a crucial meeting is set to be held next week to decide whether the county’s draft Local Development Plan (LDP) will proceed to the next stage.

The two main sites where houses will be built are the Northern Gateway development in Deeside, where 1,300 homes could be created, along with 300 at Warren Hall in Broughton.

The local authority said it expects the main objections from communities will be around the proposed housing locations.

Concerns are also anticipated surrounding how it intends to meet the needs of Gypsies and Travellers, which includes extending existing permanent sites in Ewloe, Hope and Queensferry, as well as creating a new transit site on the Castle Park Industrial Estate in Flint.

However, ahead of a meeting of Flintshire’s full council on Tuesday to decide if it should go out for public consultation, a leading officer has advised residents they must suggest alternatives if they intend to object.

In a report, Andrew Farrow, chief officer for planning, economy and environment, said:

“It is the view of officers, endorsed by the planning strategy group, that the deposit LDP attached to this report is both sound and deliverable, and represents a common sense and pragmatic approach to delivering growth and development, supporting the wider sub-regional growth vision, whilst minimising the impacts on Flintshire’s communities.

The purpose of the public consultation is to allow those communities to view the plan in that context, and to consider whether the plan is indeed sound.

In objecting to any part of the plan, objectors must identify where the plan falls short in this respect, outline why it is not sound, and set out how the plan should be changed accordingly.

This will be a challenging proposition for the general public but is nevertheless a key part of their responsibility to comment constructively on the plan, rather than simply state that they do not like the proposals within it.

These submissions will be reported back to the council following the consultation and will also form part of the information submitted to the inspector who will conduct the examination of the plan.”

All 70 councillors will be asked to approve the content of the LDP, which sets out Flintshire’s development strategy up until 2030, ready for it to go out for public consultation.
If approved, the consultation will be carried out for six weeks, starting from September 30.

Any responses received will be considered in spring next year ahead of its submission to the Welsh Government shortly after.

The plan will then be subject to a formal examination by an inspector and is expected to formally be adopted in summer 2021.

By Liam Randall – Local Democracy Reporter (more here).