News: New planning documents due for public consultation

Every new home and workplace in the borough with space for parking could be required to provide electric vehicle charging points.

A suite of new Planning documents due for public consultation agreed by the Council's Cabinet last week. The charging points will provide residents with a convenient charging station for plug-in vehicles, and contribute to improving the quality of air in Rotherham.

The charging points are one of six new draft Supplementary Planning Documents which are being proposed. The Supplementary Planning Documents set out a variety of planning policies affecting new household developments, health considerations, air quality, town centre building uses and shop front designs.

Supplementary Planning Documents provide additional detail and guidance to support Local Plan policies. Once adopted, they are a material consideration which can be taken into account when determining planning applications.

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Under the plans, builders will be urged to include one charging point for houses with dedicated parking or one charging point per ten spaces for residences with unallocated, communal parking.

The proposals also include banning new fast food takeaways from opening within 800 metres of a school entrance, a proposal that the Council has tried to introduce using other methods previously.

Cllr Denise Lelliott, Cabinet member for Jobs and the Local Economy, said: "hese proposals will help to shape the future of housing and retail developments right across the borough, so it's right that we look at what steps are necessary to ensure we get the right proposals for sustainable communities.

"As we are increasingly conscious of issues around air quality, and when we know that the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles will be banned from 2040, now is the time to look at what more we can do to ensure Rotherham homes and businesses are fit for the future. I am looking forward to hearing responses to the consultation on our proposals."

Public consultation for a four week period is set to start on October 7 2019. After that , it will return to councillors to make a final decision on the adoption of the policy or to make any changes.

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