Stratford District Council publishes Inspector's Final Report on Core Strategy

Non-Technical Summary

This report concludes that the Stratford-on-Avon Core Strategy provides an appropriate basis for the planning of the District, providing a number of main modifications are made to the Plan.  Stratford-on-Avon District Council has specifically requested me to recommend any modifications necessary to enable the Plan to be adopted.

Almost all of the recommended changes have been put forward by the Council in response to matters discussed during the examination.  However, where necessary, I have amended detailed wording to reflect the representations made by participants and/or added consequential modifications.  I recommend their inclusion after considering the representations from other parties on these issues, including those made in response to the consultation in the Spring of 2016.

The MMs can be summarised as follows:

• To increase the Plan's housing requirement to reflect the further work that has been done since the original Hearings and my interim conclusions;
• To make additional site allocations, including a new settlement at Long Marston Airfield [LMA] associated with a new bypass for Stratford-upon-Avon, and significant additional allocations at Stratford-upon-Avon and Southam, in order to help to meet the increased housing requirement;
• To update other site allocations, including a new settlement at Gaydon Lighthorne Heath [GLH], in the light of changed circumstances, including an additional employment allocation to meet the needs of Aston Martin Lagonda [AML];
• To delete one site allocation for employment land [SUA.3, East of Birmingham Road] in respect of which exceptional circumstances have not been shown in order to justify its release from the Green Belt;
• To introduce one site allocation for employment land [SUA.5, Atherstone Airfield] which is considered to be necessary to provide for the Council's ambition to redevelop the Canal Quarter;
• To provide effective mechanisms to address any failure in the delivery of the development sought by the Plan and to meet other housing needs as they are identified, including a new policy for a Plan review and more detail on the approach to the release of reserve sites; and,
• A number of changes to a range of policies in order to ensure that they are positively prepared, justified, effective and consistent with national policy.