A PLANNING blueprint to deliver more than 14,000 homes in Poole over the next 15 years is set to be adopted by the borough council next week.

The local plan is being brought in to replace its “out-of-date” core strategy, becoming its main policy for determining developments across the area and how government housing targets will be met.

After five years of work, an inspector appointed by the Secretary of State approved the latest draft of the strategy, subject to several amendments, at the end of October.

It will now go to the meeting of Poole council on Tuesday (November 13) for a decision to be made on whether it is adopted as part of its policy.

Included within the local plan are plans to “regenerate” the town centre, a strategy to meet the borough’s target of building 14,200 new homes and to create 9,000 new permanent jobs.

Julian McLaughlin, head of growth and infrastructure at the council, said: “We are really pleased with the inspector’s conclusions following a successful examination process.

"We now hope the Poole local plan will be adopted later this month, providing a robust planning framework for determining planning applications and enabling greater focus on service planning and infrastructure investment in Poole.”

It identifies sites for most of the required 14,200 homes within the town centre and other parts of the borough with better public transport links.

However, it also includes the provision of green belt sites in Merley and Bearwood for 1,300 new houses.

Cabinet member for planning, Cllr Ian Potter, said that the local plan would bring “significant benefits” to the borough.

“The Poole local plan supports the council’s long-held ambition for town centre regeneration and the development of brownfield sites in the area," he said.

"In addition, it helps set out how Poole will remain a distinctive place in its own right, which is really important to our residents and businesses as local government reorganisation takes shape next year.”

Local authorities are required to be able to demonstrate that they have enough developments in the pipeline to be able to meet need for the next five years.

If councils are unable to do so then policies, such as local plans, are deemed to be “out-of-date” and are given less weight in determining new planning applications.

Councillors are being recommended by Cllr Potter to formally adopt the new blueprint and will make a decision at Tuesday’s meeting.