Column: Talking Politics - Residents deserve a say on the Local Plan

Following July’s Cabinet Meeting, the Conservative Group called-in the Local Plan Modifications Consultation.We are lobbying the Labour-run council to put more crucial information into the public domain, and for an extension to the consultation period to give residents a fair chance to have their say on the Local Plan.Since the beginning, the Conservative Group has had severe doubts about Labour’s Local Plan (LP). Calderdale needs more housing; this is a fact which we do not dispute.

However, we require the correct number and types of housing to meet the needs of residents. Furthermore, we require adequate investment in infrastructure and services to accommodate largescale housebuilding, which is lacking in the current draft of the LP. Labour’s LP aims to build 15,000 homes.

This is based on their exaggerated and unlikely growth projections that population in the Borough will increase by almost 20,000 by 2033. This is compared with just over 4,000 according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) based on our local expected population growth levels. The LP is seeking to build homes for four times as many people than is likely to be needed.Furthermore, the draft LP lacks sufficient provision of affordable housing for first-time buyers and expanding families.

The Housing Strategy includes an allocation of just 238 additional affordable homes per year by 2032/33, this account for less than a quarter of the homes to be built. The LP also lacks sufficient provision of accessible homes for the elderly and disabled. According to the Strategic Housing Market Assessment, Calderdale’s LP would fall short by around one third of the required number of accessible homes, despite an aging population.

The environmental impact could potentially be devastating, with around 7,000 houses planned to be built on Green Belt sites concentrated in Eastern Calderdale. The concentration of many houses in this area will cause major impacts upon local roads and infrastructure, increased pressure on services with insufficient provisions to increase the capacity of schools, GP surgeries and community amenities. Key pressure points in our highway network such as Hipperholme Crossroads, Stump Cross and West Vale lack any upgrades to alleviate congestion and increased air pollution.All the items which I have raised are issues which we want to raise at the call-in meeting. There is crucial information which has not been shared, such as the traffic mapping report, an issue which led to the departure of Friends of the Earth from any future deliberations on the LP. Crucially, we are calling for an extension to the consultation period, which will be significantly affected by the school holiday period and lead to lower levels of public engagement.

There are also major questions surrounding the proposed procedures and mechanisms in the lead up to the consultation.

This call-in is about ensuring that residents have a fair and proper opportunity to share their views on the LP, and its long-term consequences on their quality of life.