Flintshire’s Local Development Plan could be approved by October under updated timeline

A key development blueprint for Flintshire could be ratified by October following a consultation on several proposed changes.

Flintshire Council has provided an updated timeline on its  (LDP), which sets out where around 7,000 houses could be built in the county over the next decade.

The document was first submitted to planning inspectors to be examined in October 2020 with public hearings held last spring.

One of the biggest changes requested by the inspectors is for a proposed site for 300 new homes to be removed,

It comes after a hearing last September heard there were “significant concerns” regarding the Warren Hall site in Broughton.

The local authority was also thrown a curveball in the middle of the process when it was required to take into account tough new targets announced by Natural Resources Wales.

The measures are aimed at ensuring the planning applications do not increase phosphate pollution levels in rivers.

In a report, Flintshire’s chief planning officer Andrew Farrow said: “Following resolution of all outstanding matters the council has prepared a schedule of changes to the plan that have resulted from the examination and which the Inspector considers are necessary to maintain the soundness of the LDP.

“These are known as the matters arising changes (MACs) and as a final stage in the examination process, need to be published for public consultation.

“Any responses to the MACS will help to inform the inspector’s report.

“Aside from the only inspector directed change relating to Warren Hall, all other changes are of a relatively modest significance, indicating the degree to which the plan submitted by the council for examination, was already sound.”

He added: “All changes required by the inspector have been agreed in principle under the approved scheme of delegation put in place for the LDP examination process and the inspector now requires that the MACs are published for a six-week period of public consultation, to allow the public and stakeholders the opportunity to comment.

“This is an essential precursor to the council receiving the inspector’s report on the examination of the LDP as the inspector needs to take account of any representations on the MACs when finalising her report.”

Members of the council’s ruling Labour cabinet will be asked to approve launching the consultation on the changes as soon as possible at a meeting next week.
It’s expected the consultation will last for a period of six weeks, starting on Friday, June 17.

The final inspectors’ report is anticipated to be delivered in September with the cabinet and full council to consider adopting it the following month.

Liam Randall – Local Democracy Reporter (more here).