Local Plan 2040 consultation - Have your say on the future of development in Leeds

The Leeds Local Plan 2040 scoping consultation covers key planning issues for Leeds and will help the council understand people’s views on current planning policy and how it might need to change. 

With a focus on seven key topic areas, the Local Plan 2040 is set to direct future planning policy across the city up to 2040:

• Spatial Strategy – Where should development take place in Leeds? As one of England’s largest cities and the centre of the Leeds City Region, it is important to manage how growth and development will be directed across the city.
• Housing- How should Leeds respond to the national housing crisis? The Local Plan 2040 will consider housing need across the city, the mix and type of future housing development, the need for affordable housing and specialist homes e.g. for older people and students as well as for groups like Gypsies and Travellers.
• Economic development- How many new jobs do we need, and where should they be? Leeds has a diverse and growing economy; the Local Plan 2040 will look at how much land is needed to support economic development and which parts of Leeds should be prioritised for business development. It will also look at locations for new economic hubs and the district’s role in development for tourism.
• Roles of centres- What will your local high street look like in 2040? Leeds has over 60 town and local centres and the council will consider how to manage and protect them for the benefit of local communities at a time when shops are closing and other uses such as housing are becoming more commonplace.
• Minerals and Waste- Leeds has reserves of minerals that are needed by industry, the Local Plan 2040 will explore the necessity for mineral extraction and associated infrastructure. It will also explore future need for waste disposal and infrastructure required to process green waste, glass recycling and food waste. In addition, it will consider whether Leeds needs a local planning policy on fracking.
• Transport and accessibility- The Local Plan 2040 will explore how the plan can work with the Connecting Leeds Strategy to ensure that development is supported by public transport infrastructure and Leeds can be a city where you don’t need to own a car. The scoping consultation will also look at what is needed to help prepare for a mass rapid transit system, which is dependent on central government funding and managing growth at Leeds Bradford Airport.
• Other topic areas- Other technical planning matters will also be considered in the plan, such as heritage and conservation, landscape, rural development (including detailed policies for development in the green belt), community facilities, contaminated land and hazardous substances, open land and green corridors in urban areas.

The scoping consultation will be an opportunity for residents and local businesses to tell the council what they think about the topic areas and set the direction for future consultations on the Local Plan 2040. Giving residents the ability to share whether the policy areas are up to date, help meet local priorities, as well as finding out if there are any additional areas of policy that should be included in future Local Plan 2040 consultations.

The Local Plan 2040 is a thorough update of Leeds City Council’s core strategy and site allocations plans, the council is also progressing the “Local Plan Update: Your Neighbourhood, Your City, Your Planet”, which is a separate process and focusses on climate change prevention and impacts, design, health and place making. 

Councillor Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council’s executive member for climate and infrastructure, said:” The Local Plan 2040 will set out our city’s planning policies for the long-term future, directing future development across Leeds, so it’s important that we gather the views of residents and organisations across the city at the very start of this process.

“This scoping consultation will set the direction of travel for the Local Plan 2040 and will allow us to understand what residents and organisations want to see across a range of planning policy areas.”

The council recently consulted on detailed policies for the Local Plan Update – Your Neighbourhood Your City Your Planet, which focused on detailed policies relating to the climate emergency, design, and health and wellbeing.

The Local Plan 2040 is a more comprehensive and holistic review of the whole Local Plan for Leeds, exploring a range of topic areas, including housing, economic development etc.

Have your say now

The Local Plan 2040 scoping consultation is taking place between 10 February to 24 March and residents will be able to have their say on the dedicated website or via email, post and phone.

The dedicated website is home to all the information relevant to the Local Plan 2040 scoping consultation. This includes separate sections for the different topic areas, which are available in detailed and short formats.

Meaning residents can find out more information about the entire scoping consultation or just the areas that are of interest and can contribute their views using the online surveys whether they have read the documents in detail or having read a shorter, more summarised version.

Over the coming weeks, members of the council’s planning team will be hosting a series of in person drop-in sessions so people can find out more about the draft Local Plan and its individual topics.

Councillor Helen Hayden said: “Planning is the first step in so many things that affect so many people’s lives, sometimes without them even being aware of it. This is an important piece of work, and because of that it is crucial that we hear from everybody that wants to comment on the scoping consultation.

“We are working to make the draft Local Plan more accessible than ever before, gathering the views of as many people and businesses as possible to ensure the comments gathered represent varied views from all people across the city.”

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