About the Local Plan
Ensuring infrastructure is in place
Infrastructure, such as roads and utilities, will need to be in place before any development starts.
An Infrastructure Delivery Plan will help us to plan for the needs of local people in the future.
Schools
We must be able to provide enough school places for children who live in South Tyneside.
The area currently has a good supply of schools suitable for all ages, but it is important we can accommodate pupils in the future.
The Infrastructure Delivery Plan examines the potential impact of an increase in pupil numbers on different schools in the area.
Health facilities
Health services have also been considered as part of the development of the Local Plan.
We continue to work with health care providers to look at what extra health facilities may be needed.
Roads / Transport
We have reviewed, in detail, the impact of traffic from sites allocated for development.
We have also considered the future demand for different types of transport.
It is likely that traffic on our roads, as with many parts of the country, will increase. A balanced approach to transport should be taken.
Road improvements will be considered where necessary and possible, however there needs to be a focus on public transport and other means of travel.
The Local Plan particularly supports opportunities for improving existing and new sustainable transport options, such as:
- allocating potential development sites as close to key public transport links as possible
- supporting improvements to the Metro network
- improving cycling and footpath networks
These measures will also help with our work around climate change.
Utilities
Northumbria Water have indicated that the water and sewerage network in the area would be able to manage the future development proposed in the draft plan.
We continue to work closely with all our partners who are responsible for the area's infrastructure.