SENIOR North Yorkshire councillors are to be asked to support the creation of a plan that would guide development in the county for decades to come and help to create new housing and attract a wave of enterprise.

The Local Plan would address the needs and opportunities of communities across North Yorkshire, guiding what can be built where and shaping infrastructure investments.

At their meeting on Tuesday, December 13, members of North Yorkshire County Council’s (NYCC) executive will be asked to agree that work on preparing a Local Plan for the new North Yorkshire Council should begin as soon as possible.

North Yorkshire Council will be launched on April 1 next year, replacing the existing seven district and borough.

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It is a legal requirement for the new authority to develop a Local Plan within five years of its launch.

The leader of NYCC, Cllr Carl Les, who will lead the new North Yorkshire Council, said: “A robust Local Plan that sets out an ambitious vision and a clear framework for growth will ensure that we keep control of how and where development takes place.

“By ensuring a local focus, we can protect and enhance the quality of the places in which we live, creating sustainable economic growth and prosperous communities while safeguarding the natural and heritage assets that are such an important aspect of our county.”

The plan would look ahead for a minimum of 15 years, and at least 30 years in relation to any larger scale developments, such as new settlements or significant urban extensions.

It would encompass all areas of the county outside the national parks.

The executive member for growth and housing, Cllr Simon Myers, said: “The plan will be vital to the new North Yorkshire Council’s ambitions to deliver sustainable economic growth, through good homes and jobs, as well as the best facilities and infrastructure for everyone who lives or works in the county.

“Planning guidance will also play a key role in meeting our ambitious targets to tackle climate change.

"In addition, it can support other services in meeting the needs of our many communities at a local level, taking into account everything from transport and education to housing, health and social care.”

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Currently, district-specific Local Plans exist for each district and borough in the county.

All district and borough authorities have worked together to present the best way forward in the recommendations to be considered by the executive.

It is recommended that reviews of some of these Local Plans, generally those at an early stage, should be halted and revisited as part of the creation of the new blueprint.

However, reviews at a more advanced stage - including the plans for Ryedale - are recommended to continue, and will be separate to the Local Plan.

Subject to approval of the recommendations, the next step will be to produce a local development scheme, which will set out the timetable for the preparation of the Local Plan.