Council begins process to review Peterborough Local Plan

The production of a new long-term housing and employment plan in Peterborough has been endorsed by the city council.

Members of the cabinet voted this week to proceed with updating Peterborough’s Local Plan which sets out how the city will grow over the coming decades.  

The current plan, which was adopted in 2019, covers development in Peterborough up until 2036. However, national policy is for this to be updated every five years.

The council has said that reviewing the local plan will bring numerous benefits, including ensuring that Peterborough can demonstrate it has enough land for housing. Planning in a considered way such as this, would help the city to achieve its carbon zero aims by making sure all new buildings and developments have easy pedestrian and cycle links and are energy efficient.

It could also ensure that employers can find out which land is available for them to occupy, bringing more jobs to the city, and allows new national policies in areas including climate change and biodiversity to be included.

Moreover, it could give more time to plan where new infrastructure - including schools, roads and health facilities - will need to be built.

If Full Council agrees to proceed with a review of the local plan, the process would take approximately three years with several public consultations included.

The updated plan would earmark development in Peterborough up until at least 2041 and would include a housing target for this period.

Cllr Marco Cereste, cabinet member for climate change, planning, housing and transport, said: “Peterborough is a fast-growing city - both in terms of people, jobs and investment - so it is important we continue to plan long-term to attract new jobs, businesses and investment to the city.

“The current local plan has been very successful, with strong take up of the allocated sites within it, which is bringing forward new jobs, homes and supporting infrastructure at a faster rate.

“The new local plan will identify the best places for new development, to meet the changing needs of the city, as well as supporting the £1billion city centre regeneration programme that we are bringing forward. At the same time, it will help us to achieve our carbon zero goals by making sure those who use these developments limit energy consumption as much as possible, by making walking and cycling the default option and creating buildings that require less heating and power.

“This is an exciting time for Peterborough, and the new local plan will harness the creativity of the new university, while managing the impacts of new growth.

“Updating a local plan is a lengthy process and we would make sure we are open with businesses, investors and residents throughout this period and take into account all feedback before coming up with our final document.”