Canterbury Council’s draft Local Plan does not meet the needs of the area, according to an independent planning inspector…
Canterbury needs to find space for more homes. Independent planning inspector Mike Moore made the assertion after examining the city council’s Local Plan draft. He concluded the number of homes required to fulfil the needs of the district should increase from 780 to 800 each year over the next two decades.
The plan was found to be unsound after Moore noted the council does not have a proven five-year housing supply. He said to rectify this the council needed to provide more information on the viability and infrastructure linked to the main housing allocations. He also suggested the council look at the sites that were not allocated again to see if they could be utilised.
Three sites were identified by the planning inspector as suitable for re-evaluation. This included land south of John Wilson Business Park in Chesterfield; land south of the A28, Hersden; and land south of Thanington.
Stage two of the examination, which was set to start on 29 September, will now be postponed until the issue is addressed.
Council Chief Executive Colin Carmichael said: “We now have work to do on the five year supply point and will be looking at the sites the inspector has highlighted.
“It is quite common for an examination to be paused so that additional information can be submitted, and we will be going back to him on the timetable for this in a few weeks’ time.
“We look forward to the examination continuing in due course.”
