North Tyneside councillors are urging young people to share their views on the draft Local Plan, which proposes 16,694 new homes by 2042/44, including development on green belt land. Only 2% of responses to date have come from those aged 25 or younger, according to a council report.
Current Engagement Statistics
The draft plan has generated over 4,000 comments via questionnaires, an interactive map, emails, and letters. Fourteen public drop-in events since 2025 attracted 522 attendees. Efforts to engage younger people through schools, the youth council, and youth groups have yielded limited results. In contrast, 27% of respondents are aged 65 and over, which the council report describes as “over-representative of the population.”
Councillors Call for Action
At North Tyneside’s overview and scrutiny committee, Wallsend North councillor Andy Newman said: “This is not a plan for me or for my brother, this is a plan for my children and my grandchildren and I am taken aback by that 2% youth engagement.” Committee member Louise Marshall added: “It is critical we engage those people to understand what they want in the future; we need to look at creative ways of doing that.”
Next Steps for the Local Plan
The plan will proceed through several stages before adoption. From June to September 2026, councillors will receive briefings and officers will be available for additional sessions. A six-week formal consultation period is scheduled from late September to early November 2026. In 2027, planning inspectors will examine the plan, with potential adoption by the full council after a vote in 2028.
