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| City of Wakefield Local Plan | |
|---|---|
| Name | City of Wakefield Local Plan |
| Jurisdiction | City of Wakefield |
| Adopted | 2019 |
| Authority | Wakefield Metropolitan District Council |
| Region | West Yorkshire |
| Country | England |
City of Wakefield Local Plan The City of Wakefield Local Plan is the statutory development plan prepared by Wakefield Metropolitan District Council to guide land use and planning decisions in the City of Wakefield area, including Wakefield town and surrounding settlements such as Castleford, Pontefract, Featherstone, and Ossett. The Plan integrates strategic priorities set by national instruments like the National Planning Policy Framework and regional strategies shaped by entities including the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and the Leeds City Region. It balances competing priorities from stakeholders such as Highways England, Historic England, Natural England, Homes England and local bodies like the Wakefield Labour Group and private sector developers.
The Local Plan succeeds earlier policy documents including the Wakefield Local Development Framework, responding to demographic forecasts from the Office for National Statistics and economic assessments by organisations like the Local Enterprise Partnership (West Yorkshire) and Business Improvement Districts in Wakefield. It addresses statutory duties under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and amendments via the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 while reflecting national guidance from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. The Plan aims to coordinate infrastructure investment tied to programmes such as the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement and funding streams from the Leeds City Region Enterprise Zone and European Structural and Investment Funds where relevant.
Preparation involved evidence gathering from consultants, academics at institutions such as the University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University, and inputs from agencies including Environment Agency and Yorkshire Water. Public consultation phases followed statutory procedures comparable to examinations in public overseen by Planning Inspectors appointed through the Planning Inspectorate, with representations from stakeholders such as National Grid, Network Rail, Sport England, NHS England and civic groups like the Wakefield Civic Society. The Plan underwent independent examination involving hearing sessions reflective of precedents set by cases involving Chelmsford Borough Council and Bristol City Council, culminating in adoption by full council resolution at Wakefield Town Hall.
The spatial strategy designates growth locations across wards including Knottingley, Horbury, Netherton, Carleton, and the Southeast Wakefield corridor, aligning with transport corridors like the M62 motorway, A1(M), and the Wakefield Line. Policies allocate strategic sites and area action plans similar to frameworks used in Sheffield, Bradford, and Huddersfield, and set parameters for retail development that reference national retail policy exemplified by decisions at Westfield Stratford City and Bluewater Shopping Centre. The Plan delineates safeguarded land, town centre hierarchies including Wakefield Town Centre and district centres, and locations for mixed-use regeneration drawing on precedents such as King's Cross and Granary Wharf.
Housing targets reflect demographic analyses and housing need assessments akin to studies conducted by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Shelter charity, with allocations across settlements including Alverthorpe, Crigglestone, Kirkhamgate, and Pontefract Priory catchment areas. Affordable housing policies prescribe tenure mixes informed by programmes run by Riverside Group, Clarion Housing Group, Orbit Group and requirements used in negotiations with developers similar to s106 agreements and Community Infrastructure Levy contributions. The Plan addresses specialist housing for older persons and supported housing aligned with standards from Care Quality Commission expectations and aligns with national flagship models such as those advocated by Habitat for Humanity and research from the Town and Country Planning Association.
Employment land allocations support sectors including logistics, advanced manufacturing, retail and digital services, with sites promoted near employment hubs like Normanton, Castleford Interchange, and the Almondbury-style industrial parks. Policy supports development at enterprise and business parks akin to Leeds Valley Park and links to inward investment activity coordinated by the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership and national agencies like UK Trade & Investment (now part of Department for International Trade). The Plan addresses safeguards for primary employment areas, flexible workspace provisions informed by models from TechHub and StartUp Britain, and measures to protect strategic distribution sites adjacent to Hanson quarries and freight facilities managed by Network Rail.
Transport policy coordinates with bodies including West Yorkshire Metro, Highways England and Northern Trains, prioritising sustainable travel measures consistent with schemes such as Cycle Superhighways and regional rapid transit proposals similar to Leeds Supertram studies. Infrastructure obligations reference utilities providers like Yorkshire Water, Northern Gas Networks, and National Grid, and incorporate flood risk management guided by the Environment Agency and drainage standards used by British Water. Green Belt boundaries align with National Planning Policy Framework tests and take account of nearby protected landscapes such as Peak District National Park and sites designated under Natura 2000 and Ramsar conventions.
Environmental policies protect biodiversity, habitats and historic assets, coordinating with Natural England, Historic England, and conservation bodies such as the Churches Conservation Trust and National Trust. Proposals must consider impacts on Site of Special Scientific Interest sites, Scheduled Monuments including local archaeology, and listed buildings like those recorded by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. The Plan incorporates climate resilience measures informed by reports from the Committee on Climate Change and promotes low-carbon development standards aligned with initiatives from Energy Saving Trust and renewable energy programmes similar to projects supported by Ofgem and UK Green Investment Bank.
Category:Planning documents in England