Last chance to have your say on Blackburn with Darwen’s new Local Plan

Residents living in Blackburn with Darwen are being urged to have their final say on the borough’s brand new Local Plan.

The plan will provide a blueprint for the future – identifying sites for new homes and business developments over the next 15 years.

It will also set out proposed plans for improvements to roads and schools as well as ways to consider climate change in all planning decisions.

Years of hard work by officers at Blackburn with Darwen Council has gone in to developing the robust plan which will be vital to aiding the areas recovery following the pandemic.

Now, residents and groups have the chance to have their final say on the plan during the last six week public consultation ahead of the document being sent to Government for consideration.

Councillor Phil Riley, Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Executive Member for Growth and Development, said:

The Local Plan is vitally important to shaping the borough over the next 15 years, improving the lives of our residents, creating thousands of new jobs and ensuring we have the right mix of quality homes across the borough.

The plan covers subjects that we know are really important to our residents in Blackburn with Darwen including new developments, schools, roads and our green spaces.

We want residents to use the next six weeks to review the draft Local Plan and have their say.

During the previous round of public consultation in 2021, we had almost 800 individuals and organisations come forward and offer their feedback which has helped shape the latest proposals which are now nearing the final stage.

The Local Plan sets out how development and growth requirements across the borough up until 2037 will be met.

It includes the £250 million transformation of Blackburn Town Centre, including the former Thwaites site, and the £90m Darwen Town Deal regeneration plans.

There’s also proposals for a new Household Waste Recycling Centre for the borough which would replace the out-dated existing facilities.

Councillor Riley added:

The Local Plan gives us a really strong foundation on which to deliver our vision for improved communities right across Blackburn with Darwen, dealing with climate change and giving everyone the very best chance in life and access to the services they need.

It also determines how we will make Blackburn with Darwen a healthier and more prosperous borough that meets the needs of our growing population.

The plan is based on evidence and feedback, reflects the types of homes and jobs we need as a borough to improve community wellbeing, what type of high streets we have and how we maximise the benefits from our parks and green spaces.

I do hope residents will take part in the consultation – we’ve made it as easy as possible to get involved.

The six week consultation will run from Thursday, February 4^th to Friday March 18^th.

You can find out everything you need to know by clicking here.

You can also attend one of the public drop-in events that are due to take place in Blackburn (Tue 1^st March) and Darwen (Wed 2^nd March). Further details on these events will be made available nearer the time.