A series of Hearing Sessions are currently underway to assess the soundness and legal compliance of the Poole Local Plan. Today and tomorrow the focus of the hearing sessions will be on housing need in the Borough.
Borough of Poole’s Draft Poole Local Plan identifies a need for approximately 14,200 new homes before 2033, together with a requirement for 33 Hectares of new employment premises and associated infrastructure. The Local Plan also identifies that the 14,200 new homes should be delivered as 60% houses and 40% flats. In addition, 40% of all homes should be provided as affordable homes and properties suitable for first time buyers.
Given the constraints within Poole itself, it will be difficult to meet this requirement for houses so there is an important need to create new communities around the edge of the Borough. The costs associated with developing urban sites also mean that delivering affordable homes can be challenging.
The Draft Local Plan therefore identifies two locations for urban extensions in the green belt, which includes land at Bearwood for an allocation of a minimum of 800 homes and a 60-bed care home at site UE2 - North of Bearwood, otherwise known as Canford Park.
We believe the development at Canford Park can provide a considerable benefit to the local housing market, including: