Update to the Local Plan

CBC has recently made changes to its Local Plan following the hearings last year. So far as Hockliffe is concerned, they have dropped all three of their proposed sites from the Plan (i.e. the site north of the village near the school, the site behind the White Hart, and the Gladman site opposite Birchs Close). Instead of allocating sites themselves, there is now a provision that enables the emerging Hockliffe Neighbourhood Plan to allocate its own sites.

This is what they say:

“Within Hockliffe, amendment of the green belt boundary may be made by a neighbourhood plan to allow growth to meet local need.

This is subject to:

• Sites released from the green belt must be adjacent to the existing built core of the village.
• Any such amendment and allocation of sites must be based on a robust site assessment.
• The Green Belt Stage Studies were undertaken to inform the Local Plan, or any subsequent evidence or updates must be taken into account in any site assessment process.
• Exceptional Circumstances must be demonstrated.”

The Parish Council is taking advice on this and we will let you know the outcome. There will be plenty of time and opportunities for public discussion.