A culmination of years of work and consultation to manage growth and development in East Cambridgeshire over the next 20 years has been approved to be submitted to Government.

The Local Plan looks at how much, where and when development should take place. It seeks to ensure development in the district is ‘sustainable’ by meeting the needs of the area.

At the recent Full Council meeting at East Cambridgeshire District Council, members voted to send the Plan to Government for examination later this summer.

The Local Plan which will be the main basis for making decisions on planning applications is the result of working with residents, parish councils and other organisations.

The Draft Plan proposes the District Council will:

* Provide for the delivery of 8,500 - 9,500 new homes with additional housing in the longer term

* Maximise opportunities for jobs growth with the aim of achieving a minimum of 9,200 additional jobs

* Make available at least 172.24 ha of employment land for business uses

* Make provision for at least an additional 1,984m² of convenience and 6,373m² of comparison retail floor space

Councillor Peter Moakes, Chairman of Development and Transport committee at East Cambridgeshire District Council, said: "Our Local Plan is an excellent example of what can be achieved when people across the district come together in a common cause. All of us who have been involved in this process have had one aim to create a thriving and prosperous East Cambridgeshire. Whether this has been by outlining land suitable for new homes or businesses or identifying where jobs may be created – our task has been to put in place the building blocks for growth.

"A tremendous amount of work has been put into creating our Local Plan and I must pay tribute to everyone who has helped put the plan together from officers developing the policies to residents giving their feedback to ideas and councillors debating the issues. After the Plan is submitted to Government we expect to hear back from them in the new year when we hope they will endorse our vision for the future."

If you have any questions on the Local Plan, please call the Forward Planning Team on 01353 665555, email ldf@eastcambs.gov.uk or for more details visit the website at www.eastcambs.gov.uk.