Liberal Democrats have welcomed the final adoption of the B&NES Core Strategy at a full council meeting at the Guildhall in Bath yesterday evening.
The Core Strategy will deliver 13,000 homes (including 3,300 affordable homes) and 10,300 jobs over the next 15 years, protect large swathes of the green belt and will ensure that B&NES can get money for vital infrastructure from developers.
The Core Strategy, which has been in preparation since 2007, was adopted by 40 votes to 21. Councillors from all parties voted in favour of the strategy.
Councillor David Dixon (Oldfield) said: “The final adoption of the Core Strategy is good news for our area as a whole because it paves the way for homes and jobs to be delivered for local people.
“Everyone will have heard stories of local people who have been forced to move to Bristol or further afield to find somewhere affordable to live, despite working in Bath. We can’t help solve this problem without building more homes. Local people need homes, services and jobs.”
Councillor Manda Rigby (Abbey), who sits on the planning committee, said: “Now the Core Strategy is in place, residents and potential developers will have certainty about where development is allowed and where it is not allowed.
“Three years ago opposition Councillors chose to play politics instead of adopting a Core Strategy. While we have been without a Core Strategy, we have seen a massive increase in speculative applications and we have been left vulnerable to inappropriate development.
“Without an overall spatial plan to refer back to, we have lost a number of controversial planning appeals. This Core Strategy will help safeguard our important green spaces.”
Councillor David Martin (Bathwick) added: “I welcome the adoption of the Core Strategy which will mean we can go ahead and adopt the ‘Community Infrastructure Levy’.
“This is a charge paid by developers for each home they build which goes towards community facilities for everyone to use, such as schools and transport. This levy will bring between £12M and £17M of investment to our area between 2015 and 2029.”
Councillor Paul Crossley (Southdown) said: “The Core Strategy adopted tonight was the only deal on the table for B&NES. If we had not adopted it, not only would we lose all the benefits, but we would be without any defence against speculative planning applications on any piece of land throughout the district.
“By allowing limited development, with safeguards and masterplanning, on four small sites currently in the green belt we have stopped development on any other part of the green belt.”
