To approve the publication of the Hereford area plan (HAP) housing and employment site options paper for consultation purposes.

The site options paper sets out to identify a range of sites considered as potential allocations for housing and employment uses within the HAP.  It includes details of 57 housing sites and 5 employment sites considered to have potential for development across Hereford.  The consultation will seek the public’s views on the approach taken, including the site suggestions or whether other sites and proposals should be considered. 

That:

(a)        the Hereford Area Plan site options paper (Appendix 1-9) is approved for consultation. 

1.              The delivery of potential sites for housing and employment will be a key element of the HAP.  An alternative approach to developing the plan considered was to move directly to preparing a draft plan with a set of draft housing and employment allocations.

2.              However, development plan documents are examined by independently appointed inspectors whose role is to assess whether the plan is sound.  One of the tests of soundness is that a plan is considered justified when considered against reasonable alternatives.  By carrying out this consultation it ensures that the wider community have been given the opportunity to contribute their views which will influence the Plan’s outcome. Therefore, moving to publishing a draft plan without considering a range of site options and carrying out a public consultation would increase the risk of the document being found unsound at examination stage.

3.              There are a number of site options within the document.  The public are being asked for their views on sites considered to have potential and sites discounted for both housing and employment sites.  A summary of the issues are set out for each site.  There is also the opportunity to consider other non housing and non employment options for the relevant sites.  Such needs might include the educational buildings, student accommodation, community buildings, multi storey car parking etc. 

The paper will be subject to seven weeks consultation, consultees will include specified, local businesses and individuals.