Views sought on Wyre Forest homes blueprint
A blueprint for where new housing will be built in Wyre Forest is being created - and the public is being asked to help.
Wyre Forest District Council is carrying out a review of the Local Plan which determines where homes should be built and industrial sites should be earmarked.
Next Tuesday, members of the council's cabinet will consider a report on a consultation document that will be launched in the autumn.
The document, known as an Issues and Options paper, is the beginning of a process which councillors anticipate will see the adoption of a new Local Plan in 2017.
People will be asked for their views on where new housing should be located in the future and which sites should be earmarked for industry and other uses.
Councillor John Campion, cabinet member for planning and regeneration, said: "Wyre Forest District Council has a proud history of creating certainty about where it wants to see development taking place through the successful adoption of its Local Plan.
"This is illustrated in the current investment in Kidderminster town centre and the re-development at Churchfields.
"The Local Plan underpins the robustness of our planning process when it comes to making decisions on planning applications.
"When the consultation is launched on September 1, we will be urging residents of the district, land-owners and business leaders to help us with this process by sharing their thoughts and ideas."
The consultation will last for six weeks. During this time council officials will be available to answer questions at a series of public exhibitions to be staged at Stourport Carnival, Bewdley Farmers' Market and Weavers Wharf in Kidderminster.
Officials will then analyse all of the responses received and report back to the council's cabinet in December.
Further consultations will follow next year when more detailed proposals are drawn up.
Eventually the plan will be put before an inspector from the Planning Inspectorate who will hold a public examination before allowing the council to formally adopt the proposals.
