Local plan adoption still on track for 2015

High Peak borough councillors were due to discuss the vital document and consider the responses to a public consultation at a meeting on Monday night but this had to be delayed due to the volume of responses received.

An extra meeting of the council will now take place on Tuesday March 18, a week later than the initially planned date of March 11, in the Pavilion Arts Centre, Buxton, where members will consider the latest draft of the plan and the comments received.

Cllr Godfrey Claff, executive member for regeneration, said: “I want to be absolutely clear that there is no delay to the overall timetable for the adoption of the local plan.

“We have made a commitment to listening to the views of local people and slightly delaying this extra council meeting means we can take full account of the 1,600 responses to the latest round of public consultation.”

Following consideration at the meeting, the next steps are: October 2014 - examination hearings; February 2015 - local plan adopted.

Council leader Caitlin Bisknell added: “Everyone with an interest in the High Peak can be assured that we are working hard to make sure we have a robust plan in place that will protect the borough from unsuitable developments.

“We have published the timetable for adopting the plan and we will stick to that timetable.”

The local plan will shape development across the borough until 2031.