Leeds sets out targets for new local plan
Ambitions for housing numbers, Green Belt land, affordable homes, sustainable infrastructure, and space for more offices and industrial land are all laid out in the council’s updated plan, which is due to go to final public consultation this summer and be implemented in 2027.
The council is updating the Leeds Local Plan, which will set out what new development is forecast to take place, where it will be, and how it will look.
The original LLP was due to be submitted in 2023, and addressed issues such as carbon targets, net zero buildings, green and blue infrastructure, and place making.
However, a change in national guidance on net zero buildings and objections from developers about the viability and feasibility of the aims put a stop to the original version, leading to the creation of the new plan.
The current LLP is split into five Development Plan Documents. This new plan will consolidate the five DPDs into one, with the aim of making it clearer and easier for planners and developers to use, setting out the quantity, type, design, and location of development needed up to 2042.
At a council meeting next week, the objectives for the housing and infrastructure development needed for the region will be discussed, with 35 objectives in total.
Of these, key objectives affecting the property industry include:
- Identifying land for 82,371 homes to meet required local housing needs across the district
- Delivering significantly more affordable houses in all communities. The report notes that despite Leeds providing more affordable homes than comparable cities, with 700 built in 2023/24, the figure needs to reach 2,200 each year to clear the backlog. A suggestion is that for non-Green Belt greenfield sites, an expectation of 50% affordable housing is set.
- Focusing on the mix of housing delivered, including a significant increase in homes for the elderly, accessible homes, student accommodation, and coliving
- Updating the Green Belt boundary for the district to enable sustainable urban extensions
- Identifying locations to to deliver at least 7m sq ft of office floorspace, particularly in the city centre and public transport hubs
- Identifying sites to deliver around 25m sq ft, or 1,600 acres, for industrial and logistics use
- Increasing the density of development in and around the city centre
- Increasing the re-use of buildings and their construction materials
- Minimising the use of carbon by assessing the whole life cycle of new buildings and adopting sustainable construction methods, with a focus on zero carbon buildings.
The full report can be found here.
