A new framework for Bromley’s future  – more than two years in the making and featuring thousands of new homes – was finally signed off by councillors last night.

Bromley councillors approved the borough’s Local Plan, a new document outlining how and where Bromley will be developed up to 2030.

The massive 500-page bundle tells developers where the council will support new houses, which schools have potential to be expanded and what transport objectives the borough should be aiming for.

The plan helps back the council up when it comes to rejecting developments should its decisions be appealed.

Council leader Colin Smith said: “This is something of a base camp for the borough. It provides us with a certainty against excessive development in places we think is unsuitable. 

“One of the great things it does is that it provides a stable base and protection around car parking standards.

“It also gives us a secure platform to argue from should some of the extremities looked at in the Mayor’s evolving plan should come to pass, and a footing to get  together with other outer London boroughs to potentially challenge in the High Court, were that to ever prove necessary."

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Sadiq Khan’s London Plan is going through the final stages of approval, and would have housing targets in outer London boroughs such as Bromley’s more than doubled.

Bromley’s local plan commits to 641 homes a year, and marks out “opportunity areas” such as Bromley town centre for developers.

The plan replaces an older version from 2006, which inspectors take less notice of due to its age.

Protecting greenbelt land has been given “high priority”, but the plan says some open land can be reused to make schools bigger in the future.

Sites set out for potential “large” developments include Bromley Valley Gym in Chipperfield Road, Orchard Lodge in William Booth Road and Westmoreland Road car park.

Bromley town centre, according to the figures, has the capacity for more than 2,000 homes across sites including west of Bromley High Street and Bromley South.

The new policy means the council will be pushing for affordable housing on all developments with more than 11 homes, aiming for at least 35 per cent.

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The opposition in Bromley back the council’s plan, welcoming the ambitious housing numbers.

Labour councillor Vanessa Allen said: “We welcome the plan and the housing target, and affordable percentages.

“We hope that will be more actively enforced in this borough. There is a significant growing need in Bromley, there are 3,000 people on the register, waiting for as long as five years.”

Local plans give councils more weighting when rejecting unwanted developments, backing up their decisions should developers try and go over the authorities’ head to the government for approval.

The Local Plan also sets out objectives for transport, such as extending Tramlink to Crystal Palace and the DLR to Bromley North.