Stratford-on-Avon District Council approve Core Strategy document

Members of Stratford-on-Avon District have today, Monday 11 July 2016, approved Stratford-on-Avon District Council's Core Strategy document – the planning blueprint for sustainable future development in the District up to 2031.

Following a number of milestones and the end of the independent examination, with the incorporation of the changes as set out in the Schedule of Main Modification, the District Council has now been able to adopt the Core Strategy. 

The District Council has now achieved a key goal of having an up-to-date development plan that will form the starting point for the determination of planning applications.

Cllr Chris Saint, Leader of Stratford-on-Avon District Council says: “Stratford District has reached a key stage in its planning history.  This is what we have been working towards - providing the planning vision for the next 15 years across the District.

"I am very pleased that it won considerable support in the council chamber today (30 votes out of 32).  It is such a relief to get cross-party support, as we all know how important this document is for the District. 

“The District Council has invested considerable time and resources to get to this stage.  I would personally like to thank Dave Nash and his Planning Policy team for all the work they have done in reaching this point."

Highlights of the Core Strategy include:

• Housing requirement – given the scale of growth involved, acceptance of the public preference that it should include new settlements (now agreed at Gaydon Lighthorne Health and Long Marston Airfield) as well as dispersal to a significant number of existing towns and villages.
  
  
• Employment site allocations:
  • strategic employment allocations for Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin Lagonda at Gaydon
  • allocations for employment land at Stratford-upon-Avon, Alcester and Southam
  • an additional allocation at Atherstone Airfield, specifically to support Canal Quarter regeneration in Stratford-upon-Avon
  • Wellesbourne Airfield retained for aviation activity
    
    
• Protection of the Green Belt and the Cotswolds AONB from inappropriate development.
  
  
• Protecting the openness within the Areas of Restraint associated with major towns and villages and re-establishing the Special Landscape Areas in which the high quality of the landscape will be an important consideration when considering development proposals.
  
  
• Establishing fresh policies that seek to protect the natural and built heritage of the District whilst promoting high quality sustainable development in appropriate locations.
   

The following was approved at the meeting:

(1)            That the Inspector's Final Report on the examination into the Stratford-on-Avon District Core Strategy, dated 20 June 2016, be received and the Schedule of Main Modifications as set out at Appendix 2 to that report be endorsed.

(2)            That the content of the Sustainability Appraisal Technical Note (June 2016) and the Sustainability Appraisal and Habitats Regulations Assessment Addendum (June 2016), jointly attached as Appendix 1 to the report to The Cabinet, be received and endorsed.

(3)            That the Stratford-on-Avon District Core Strategy as amended by the Schedule of Main Modifications endorsed under recommendation 1 above be adopted.

(4)            That the Policies Map, also as further amended as detailed in the Schedule of Main Modifications, be adopted.

(5)            That the content of the SEA/SA Adoption Statement as attached at Appendix 2 to the report to The Cabinet be endorsed.

(6)            That the Head of Paid Service, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, be authorised to finalise the Core Strategy document by including any consequential minor modifications to the text that are required to ensure consistency with the Main Modifications (as endorsed by way of recommendation 1) and/or to provide a factual update of relevant content.

(7)       Council notes that the design of the SWRR 'will need to take fully into account a number of significant issues, including flood risk, ecological mitigation and management, and impact on the character of the landscape' (MM78).   Additionally, Council recognises the concerns of residents around noise, air and light pollution.  Council therefore emphasises the need for appropriate pre-planning consultation fully in accordance with paragraphs 4.8 to 4.10 of the Council's Statement of Community Involvement with the local communities affected by the above so that advantage can be taken of local knowledge in preparing mitigation measures.