Have your say in Mansfield Local Plan review

Work has begun to review Mansfield’s Local Plan, the key strategy document that acts as a blueprint for development in the future.

The current Local Plan, which was adopted by Mansfield District Council in 2020, sets out guidelines for how the district will grow and change until 2033.

Now, people have a chance to identify issues that the council should consider in evolving the Local Plan to cover the next 15 years and beyond.

It is running an eight-week public consultation from 25 August to 20 October as a first stage in its review of the Local Plan during which it will consider “Issues and Opportunities”.

Cllr Stuart Richardson, Portfolio Holder for Growth and Regeneration, said: “The council is committed to making sure that it has an up to date and relevant Local Plan that sets out a robust framework for how the district will grow and change, and remains consistent with the latest national guidelines and local circumstances.

“The passage of time brings new priorities so, for instance, since the last Local Plan was adopted, we now have the implications of the COVID pandemic to consider and how that has impacted on shopping habits.

“There have also been changes to the population and housing requirements along with new legislation and guidance introduced by the government.

“This consultation gives the community and other interested stakeholders a chance to shape what issues the Local Plan should consider. I would encourage anyone with an interest in Mansfield’s future to get involved.”

The Local Plan sets out a range of policies on matters including housing and employment needs, climate change, flooding, the historic environment and design quality, and town centres and shopping.

It also deals with considerations such as the amount of new development there should be and where it should go. Future stages of the Local Plan will identify which sites should be allocated for different types of development.

Responses from this new consultation will be used to inform the next stage of the Local Plan which will contain options for which sites could be earmarked for new development.

The draft document can be viewed and downloaded online at the council’s planning consultation portal at https://mansfield-consult.objective.co.uk/kse/. People can take part in the consultation by answering questions at the end of each section using the online or paper questionnaires.

Printed copies of the Local Plan Issues and Opportunities paper can be viewed at Mansfield Civic Centre or at libraries within the district. A printed copy can also be provided, in exceptional circumstances, where someone is unable to access the document online. These should be returned in person or by mail.

To find out more about council planning policy, visit the council website at www.mansfield.gov.uk/planning-policy.