Stratford District's Core Strategy to be submitted to Secretary of State

Stratford-on-Avon District Council's Full Council meeting has today, Monday 15 September agreed that the Proposed Submission Core Strategy be submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination.

Cllr Chris Saint, Leader of Stratford District Council says: “I am delighted with today's outcome.  This is a milestone occasion and one we have been working towards for a long time.  The Core Strategy is a hugely important and complex document as ultimately it lays out the vision on how Stratford-on-Avon District could look in 2031.  The Government inspector will now look at whether the strategy can progress and become the planning policy for the District.  In meantime much of it will have more weight at Planning Committee meetings."

Once submitted an independent inspector appointed by the Planning Inspectorate will hold a public examination of the document before making a recommendation to the District Council on whether the Core Strategy can be adopted.

Background information

This document identifies the broad locations, scale and type of development and supporting infrastructure that will take place in the District as well as highlighting those areas which will be protected from future development. It also covers community issues such as quality of life, the environment, housing, education, community safety and the economy.

The proposals include:

• Planning for 10,800 new homes in Stratford-on-Avon District (an average of 540 a year), including 3,000 at Gaydon and Lighthorne Heath (with 2,500 dwellings to be built by 2031).
• An additional 35 hectares of employment land, plus 100 hectares of land to support the expansion of JLR at Gaydon.
• To improve the affordability of housing across the District, 35% of dwellings on eligible sites will have been provided as affordable homes.
• Maintaining the rural, historic and local distinctiveness of the District and protecting the Greenbelt and character of the countryside.
• Maintaining the flood plain.
• Improving transport services and reducing traffic congestion.
• Ensuring new development is of high quality design.

All local councils must produce a Local Development Framework, which sets out proposals for the homes, offices and shops that must be built to meet local need. Sitting at the heart of the framework is the Core Strategy which proposes new planning policies and how the District Council will plan for future development up to 2031.

Preparing the Core Strategy has been a major undertaking for the District Council. The document has been developed through a number of consultation phases and is founded on a substantial amount of background evidence and research in conjunction with the Planning Inspectorate.