Adoption of the Local Plan provides a golden opportunity for Canterbury
The adoption of the Local Plan is a major opportunity for the City, and Corinthian Land has called on elected Councilors to grasp that opportunity and start delivering the facilities and infrastructure that Canterbury needs for the next generation.
A full Council meeting on Thursday 13th will decide whether to adopt the Local Plan, which Canterbury City Council describes as "the blueprint for how the district will develop in the years ahead. It sets out how many houses we need, the jobs and employment opportunities that come with them and the infrastructure such as roads, schools and medical facilities that are required."
The process of developing the Local Plan has been very complex, taken several years and has included extensive consultations, residents' surveys and opinion polling. Following an in-depth examination, the Planning Inspector Mike Moore has deemed the plan 'sound', subject to some modifications, and legally compliant.
Simon Wright, CEO of Corinthian Land, said: "It is essential to have a comprehensive Local Plan adopted to enable Canterbury to develop in a coordinated, structured way and the City Council has done an excellent job securing a sound Plan.
"We are delighted that the Inspector also endorsed Mountfield Park as the major allocation in the Plan, as well as backing plans for the reservation of a new hospital site next to the new A2 junction. Since the Council resolved to approve our planning application in December, the Company has been working hard on its implementation strategy and has secured an offer of funding for the construction of a new hospital.
"Once the current Judicial Review is resolved, we look forward to making the details of those plans public, and moving swiftly towards further local consultation and delivery of this exciting and much needed scheme.
"Our intentions for Mountfield Park are completely in line with the Local Plan requirements. Canterbury City Councilors now have an opportunity to set in stone a comprehensive plan for the next 15 years and to stop speculative, uncoordinated applications from coming forward."