Core Strategy ready to be resubmitted to the Planning Inspector

Stratford-on-Avon District Council has today, Monday 19 October, agreed to submit for independent examination the proposed modifications to its Core Strategy that have been produced in response to the Inspector's interim conclusions.

These proposed modifications are focused on:

• Establishing the Housing Requirement at 724 dwellings per annum
• Meeting the increased housing requirement through the identification of additional strategic sites
• Affordable Housing
• A limited number of employment related issues

There were 182 respondents, submitting a total of 379 representations.

Cllr Chris Saint says: “This is an important milestone in our Core Strategy adoption process.  The outcome of the initial examination hearings associated with the Core Strategy was an Interim Conclusions report that has required significant additional work to be undertaken.  Today's meeting presented all this information to Members who considered it vital to be submitted to the Planning Inspector without delay.  The recommendations agreed today reflect the Council's ongoing commitment to developing a sound Core Strategy as quickly as is reasonably possible."

The Council's Core Strategy will replace the Local Plan Review 2006 and set the strategic planning policies and strategy for development across the District to 2031. 

The Core Strategy was submitted for independent examination on 30 September 2014.  The appointed inspector, Pete Drew, started his examination of the plan at that point and conducted the examination hearings that were held throughout January 2015.  He published his Interim Conclusions on 18 March 2015.

The work carried out by the Council has led to proposals to further modify the submitted Core Strategy, in order to meet the concerns expressed in the Inspector's Interim Conclusions.  These were endorsed at the Council meeting held on 20 July 2015.  They were then published so that formal representations could be made by those with an interest in them.  The representation period closed on 25 September 2015. 

The proposed modifications focus on the housing policies and are considered necessary to secure a finding from the Inspector that the plan is sound and can be adopted.  In addition there are some specific employment land issues.

All modifications considered by the Inspector to be necessary to secure full soundness of the plan will be formally proposed via his Final Report, which will be accompanied by a schedule of recommended Main Modifications.

All changes to the Submission Plan proposed by the Inspector that constitute 'Main Modifications' will be open to further representations when the Council publishes them, with a statutory 6 week representation period at that final stage ahead of adoption.