2020: Early Engagement and First Call for Sites
Last Updated: 3 April 2024
Early engagement February to September 2020
We undertook some early engagement activities to scope out the review and update of our Local Plan. The purpose of this engagement was to:
- inform people about the review process and encourage them to get involved
- start discussions around which parts of our Local Plan need reviewing or updating
- generate conversations and share views on the planning issues facing us as we plan for future development in the district up to 2040
We prepared a range of documents to help generate discussions and invite people's views, and these can be accessed below. Paper copies were also available to view at South Lakeland House (Kendal), Coronation Hall (Ulverston) and libraries in Kendal, Ulverston, Kirkby Lonsdale, Milnthorpe, Grange-over-Sands and Arnside.
Early engagement documents
- Summary Leaflet (PDF 227KB / 4 pages): provides a brief introduction to the Local Plan Review, explains how you can get involved, and summarises some of the issues that we think we need to consider. It includes six questions that we would like to hear people's views on through our survey
- Discussion Paper (PDF 1.3MB / 37 pages): provides more detail on the Local Plan Review and the issues, and sets out the areas of the plan that we are proposing to review. It poses 30 questions that we are seeking your views on.
- Draft Policy Review Document (PDF 1.3MB / 52 pages): reviews our existing Local Plan policies and sets out our initial views as to which we think will require updating as we progress our Local Plan Review
- Draft Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report (PDF 20MB / 209 pages): provides a detailed assessment of the social, economic and environmental characteristics in our district, and sets out how we will assess our Local Plan to help ensure it delivers sustainable development. This document is a legal requirement and will be updated as we progress the Local Plan Review. The report is also available as a Non-Technical Summary (PDF 459KB / 8 pages).
We also prepared a range of 'topic sheets' based on different subject areas to provide some useful background information and to help generate discussions. The topic sheets provide key facts and figures, and explain the current Local Plan's position on these topics, and the issues that we think we need to consider as we review and update the Local Plan.
- Topic Sheet: Housing (PDF 172KB / 3 pages)
- Topic Sheet: Economy and Employment (PDF 180KB / 3 pages)
- Topic Sheet: Health and Wellbeing (PDF 172KB / 3 pages)
- Topic Sheet: The Environment (PDF 173KB / 2 pages)
- Topic Sheet: Climate Change and Flooding (PDF 172KB / 2 pages)
- Topic Sheet: Transport and Infrastructure (PDF 173KB / 3 pages)
- Topic Sheet: Historic Environment (PDF 172KB / 2 pages)
- Topic Sheet: Design in New Development (PDF 165KB / 2 pages)
Online survey
We launched an online survey for you to give us your views during the early engagement period. There were two versions of the survey: a short overview survey based on our summary leaflet and a longer survey based on the questions in our more detailed Discussion Paper. You can read all responses to the surveys at the links below, which include any comments to the survey that were received via post or email. We are also preparing a Consultation Statement to summarise and pull together all the feedback we received.
We also held some drop-in events for communities to come and chat to Council officers. Events were held in Kirkby Lonsdale, Grange-over-Sands and Ulverston in February and early March but the final two events in Kendal and Milnthorpe were cancelled due to the escalating COVID-19 pandemic.
Stakeholder Launch Event
On 6 March 2020 we held an event to launch the review of the Local Plan with a wide range of stakeholders. The purpose of the event was to inform stakeholders about the Local Plan review process, to explore the key issues facing South Lakeland, and to share early thoughts on which areas of our Local Plan need reviewing. It was also an important opportunity for us to learn how stakeholders would like to be engaged in the process going forwards so that we can build successful working relationships.
Stakeholder Launch Event Report (PDF 18MB / 54 pages)
Call for Sites July 2020: Housing and employment sites
We launched a ‘Call for Sites’ in July 2020 to invite suggestions for land that may be suitable, available and achievable for housing or employment uses. Further call for sites exercises will be undertaken as the Local Plan review progresses and may include a range of other uses. We prepared a guidance note on the Call for Sites exercise, to provide background information and guidance for anyone submitting a site for consideration.
Call for Sites Background Information and Guidance Document (PDF 409KB / 13 pages)
We did not seek site suggestions within the Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in this exercise as there is a recently adopted Local Plan for this area.