Public asked for views on local plan mods

The public are being invited to comment on changes to the future of development in south Warwickshire, as the local plan modifications go out to consultation. The changes are being proposed by Stratford-on-Avon District Council in response to the recommendations of the government planning inspector, who held a public inquiry into the plan between November 2003 and July 2004.

The changes to the plan, known as 'proposed modifications', are now available for public comment until Thursday 8 December. The proposed modifications are extensive and range from simple changes of words or phrases, to replacing whole policies as a result of recent changes or revised targets, for instance the government revising the allocation of housing in Warwickshire.

"The proposed changes are a key stage in the process leading to adoption of the local plan," said Cllr Stuart Beese, the portfolio holder for planning.

"Responding to the inspector's report has presented the council with some significant challenges, but I believe that the changes we are now proposing are sound and in the best interests of the long term planning of the district.

"The most significant modifications relate to housing provision in the district, and we've now  taken account the reduced housing requirements, set out in the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) from the Government Office for the West Midlands, compared with the previous targets set by the Warwickshire Structure Plan.

"This reduced housing requirement means that three sites recommended for housing by the inspector* would not need to be developed prior to 2011, and hopefully never as it would give us time to take advantage of emerging policies and the release of more brownfield sites.

"So we are proposing these sites as strategic reserves, which recognises their potential to meet longer term needs for development post 2011, in response to government policy that Plans should identify at least 10 years potential supply of housing from adoption.

"We must carefully consider all the comments received before the plan can be adopted."

Full details of the proposed modifications are available on the Local Plan page of this site.   

Paper copies of the documents can also be inspected at district council offices in Alcester, Shipston, Southam and Stratford-upon-Avon, and all libraries in the district.