Climate Emergency Local Plan review
Residents are being invited to have their say on proposed changes to Lancaster City Council’s Local Plan that strengthen the measures it contains to tackle climate change.
The Local Plan shapes the future of the Lancaster district up until 2031 with plans for more housing, new employment, open spaces, shops and community facilities.
It was adopted in July 2020 but is now being reviewed in the context of the council’s declaration of a Climate Emergency.
Two key documents – the Strategic Policies & Land Allocation DPD and Development Management DPD – have been revised and updated and are now open to public consultation.
It is a partial review of the Local Plan and does not revisit the amount of development required to meet the needs of the community or economy, nor does it re-visit specific land allocations made within the adopted Local Plan.
Measures to have been reviewed include water management, energy efficiency standards, sustainable design and renewable energy generation, as well as strategic transport and heritage considerations.
Councillor Gina Dowding, Cabinet member with responsibility for strategic planning and place making, said: “The council’s declaration of a climate emergency has committed us to a series of actions designed to make the council’s activities become net carbon zero by 2030.
We’re making huge strides to meeting that target, but we also want our communities and partners in the district to achieve the same ambition.
“In this partial review of the Local Plan we are aiming to have the right policies in place to take action on climate change.
“The question we now want the public to help us answer through this consultation is do the measures we’re now suggesting go far enough? Could we do more?
“I would encourage anyone with an interest in the future of our district to get involved and help us preserve our district for future generations.”
To find out more and get involved in the consultation visit www.lancaster.gov.uk/local-plan-review.
Last updated: 24 May 2022