“Forest Community” approach set to shape proposed Local Plan Review
A proposed review of the borough’s Local Plan could see Telford become a ‘Forest Community’ – building on extensive work that has been carried out to protect and enhance green spaces.
This is also intended to reflect the Council’s commitment to tackle climate change.
The report says Telford was designed with an emphasis on green space and the environment and that the review provides an opportunity to re-imagine and further the concept for the 21st century.
This will establish the borough as a Forest Community with an employment led development strategy that creates more jobs and opportunities for local people and protects, manages and enhance green spaces.
The council is obliged to review its Local Plan by 2023, ensuring it is up to date and conforms to changes to the national planning policy.
A report to the council’s cabinet, which meets on January 2, says reviewing the Local Plan provides an opportunity to tackle policy and infrastructure challenges including transport, health and wellbeing, provision of affordable and specialist accommodation and to address climate change.
It is proposed that four core objectives would underpin the review:
• Employment-led growth through inward investment and job creation
• A Forest Community approach which affords protection, enhancement and accessibility of the natural environment and green spaces that characterise Telford and Wrekin
• Support for regeneration of borough towns, new town estates and infrastructure
• Meet local housing needs including providing more affordable and specialist accommodation to support people to live longer and healthier at home
Councillor David Wright, Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for Housing, Transport and Infrastructure, said: “Starting a Local Plan Review now provides an opportunity to embed the council and community priorities for the borough and tackle changes in national policy.
“It also means the Local Plan can take account of economic factors that have emerged since the original version was developed.
“It is proposed that the review is not housing numbers driven but instead focuses on the council’s priorities including inward investment and job creation.
“Two of the highest priorities are inward investment and job creation and the Local Plan has a central role in an employment led strategy through the identification and allocation of employment land.
“The council has worked – through the unique Telford Land Deal – to de-risk a number of employment sites and bring them to the market.
“This has led to significant levels of inward investment in areas such as Hortonwood West and T54 and the creation of over 1100 new jobs across the Borough.
“The review offers the opportunity to further establish the Borough’s reputation as a destination of choice for investors and existing businesses to grow.
“We are also clear that the green nature of Telford and the surrounding countryside is one of the key assets of the borough enjoyed by those who live, work and visit the Borough and providing positive impacts that everyday contact with nature has to our physical health and mental wellbeing.
“Telford was initially designed with a focus on open space and the environment. Developing A Forest Community theme makes perfect sense and builds on the positive work to protect green spaces that has already taken place.
“The Local Plan Review provides an opportunity for the council to continue to engage with local communities to address physical infrastructure, provide more jobs and suitable homes and enhance people’s contact with nature and accessibility to green space.”
