Published Friday 8 January 2021 at 13:57
The Council needs your views on plans for how thousands of new homes and jobs could be created in Blackburn and Darwen over the next decade – as part of the Borough’s draft new Local Plan.
A six-week consultation period to provide feedback on this important plan for the future starts today (Friday, January 8th 2021).
The ambitious plans propose the creation of around 7,000 new homes and 5,000 net new jobs by 2037 in key development areas.
The Council has planned for ongoing disruptions to how it would normally carry out consultations due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic and latest lockdown restrictions.
It is utilising both traditional advertising, video engagement and online technology to capture residents’ views.
Information packs are being delivered to every household. Please look out for yours coming through the post over the coming weeks.
We are also working remotely with local schools and children to ensure a broad range of views are captured.
Display boards outlining the plan’s ambitions can be seen by anyone who is already out doing their essential shopping in both Blackburn and Darwen Markets following Covid safe guidelines. Everyone else is encouraged to view the boards on the web page. Please do get involved and have your say at blackburn.gov.uk/localplan
The plans aim to boost the Borough’s Covid-19 recovery by improving housing, health and infrastructure such as roads and schools.
With a large number of multi-generational families living together in smaller traditional terraced housing, the new plan will emphasise the importance of providing both high quality larger and affordable housing in the areas most needed. It also aims to boost town centre recovery post Covid-19.
Councillor Phil Riley, Executive Member for Growth and Development, said:
We know that the current pandemic has caused enormous challenges across just about every sector. However, it’s important we plan for the future with a clear vision of how we are going to improve our housing and employment for our future generations.
It’s really important that we continue with the consultation despite the new lockdown – as this Plan will ultimately help our post-Covid recovery. We have robust plans in place for the consultation and our ambition is to achieve better overall engagement so we have a Plan that has been thoroughly considered and reflects resident feedback.
Every borough needs to adopt a Local Plan to ensure there is enough additional quality housing and employment development for future generations – quality jobs and homes are also directly linked to economic growth – where future generations want to live and work.
Following the consultation, it is expected the new Plan will be submitted for examination by the government in late 2021 before being adopted in 2022.
Youth MP for Blackburn with Darwen, Zara Hayat, features in a short video to help explain the plan, which will be released soon.
She urged everyone in the borough to have their say:
I would encourage everyone to look at the plan and please comment as your views really do matter for the future of our brilliant borough.
Residents can easily identify planned growth and development in their neighbourhood via the Policies Map which accompanies the draft Local Plan.
You can view it online: blackburn.gov.uk/localplan
Ecology, flooding, drainage and traffic issues have been investigated before putting the sites forward for consideration, but the Council is still keen to listen to resident views.
The new plan also places greater emphasis on managing new development to influence health and well-being by using active design principles and health impact assessments on larger sites.
It also addresses infrastructure requirements – schools, health, roads, open spaces, household waste recycling, and leisure to ensure enough new infrastructure is provided to support new development. Primary school extensions are necessary during the plan period, including confirmed works at Lammack Primary School (Blackburn) and St Peters Primary School (Darwen).
Additional primary school and secondary school places across the borough will be identified in the early part of the plan period.
Please have your say today: www.blackburn.gov.uk/localplan
The closing date for the consultation is scheduled for the 19th February 2021.
Further background information on the draft plan
The new plan will address the Climate Emergency through a variety of measures. This includes the location and design of development, identification of land for environmental opportunities such as biodiversity enhancements – setting aside space to create a woodland, wetland, wildflower meadows or other habitat for plants and animals and what is known as ‘Carbon sequestration’ – the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to mitigate global warming. It also includes a walking and cycling strategy.
Options are also being drawn up for a new Household Waste Recycling Centre to serve the whole of the Borough. If these proposals are approved it would see the existing facilities in Blackburn and Darwen replaced with a new purpose built facility at Chapels in Darwen.
The new plan also outlines how it will protect land in response to resident feedback. Whilst the draft plan does not propose to develop any of the Borough’s Green Belt for housing it does seek to allocate a new strategic employment site on land off Junction 5 of the M65 motorway. The purpose is to respond to local businesses wanting to expand and relocate to the area which would increase our skills base and jobs growth.
The largest proposed new housing development site is in North East Blackburn where there could potentially be up to 1500 new homes at Sunny Bower over the 20 year plan period. A sustainability appraisal demonstrates why this site is considered a good location whilst appreciating further master-planning work is required to ensure that any necessary road improvements, green infrastructure, drainage, school places, landscaping and community and health facilities are addressed.
The plan details six key proposals and ideas:
- Blackburn Growth Axis – which links strategic sites across the Borough from the Samlesbury Enterprise Zone, through Blackburn town centre, linking with the Haslingden Road corridor and up to the M65 at Junction 5; and linking the town centre with the Furthergate corridor and up to M65 at Junction 6;
- Darwen Town Investment Plan which will potentially deliver a series of wide-ranging improvements for Darwen;
- North East Blackburn Strategic Housing Site – a new neighbourhood on the edge of the town;
- South East Blackburn Strategic Employment Site to attract jobs and investment at a key motorway location;
- Blackburn Town Centre Major Development Site – a unique opportunity to boost the vitality of Blackburn town centre; and
- Infrastructure Delivery Plan – an important series of interventions to improve infrastructure for all, such as roads, public transport, schools, household waste centre and health facilities.
The consultation draft Local Plan includes the following main themes:
- Vision, Strategic Objectives and Balanced Growth Strategy;
- Core Policies (housing, economic development, town centres, climate change, health, design, and infrastructure); and
- Policies around the proposed areas for Growth, Renewal or Protection