South Warwickshire Local Plan - Issues and Options Consultation

Councillors from Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick District Councils will meet on 7 December to consider the recommendation for an Issues and Options consultation on the South Warwickshire Local Plan.

The new South Warwickshire Local Plan will set out the planning policies that the Councils will use to assess applications for development, as well as identifying sites to meet future housing needs, jobs, infrastructure, and open space. It will also address the important issues of climate change, wellbeing, connectivity, and biodiversity, affecting the way we live, work, and spend our leisure time up until 2050.

The Issues and Options consultation will provide a second opportunity for residents to have their say on the emerging Local Plan, following feedback from the initial Scoping and Call for Sites consultation carried out in May 2021. It will include different options for selecting preferences to several planning policy issues and the policy options to address them. It will also set out broad options for consideration on where to best accommodate new development in the future.

The consultation will run from 9 January - 20 February 2023, subject to the Joint Committee approval on 7 December.

Detailed information about the consultation and call for sites exercise will be available to view on our website www.southwarwickshire.org.uk/swlp from the start of the consultation and a new portal will be used to submit comments.

To support this consultation and provide further detailed insight relating to future employment needs, land and housing needs, including the type and mix of homes, a Housing and Economic Needs Assessment (HEDNA) has been commissioned. Other supporting evidence has also been produced, including a Sustainability Appraisal assessing the social, environmental, and economic impacts of the emerging plan.

Cllr Daren Pemberton, Stratford-on-Avon District Council's Place and Economy Portfolio Holder says: "This is a key early stage in shaping a plan that has climate change adaptation and mitigation at its heart, supported by our work with the Met Office climate modelling team. The upcoming public consultation on 'Issues and Options' combined with key findings from the HEDNA will shape the future approach to the development of the Joint South Warwickshire Local Plan. It will support how we balance our economic growth opportunities with the housing needed locally to support those jobs, maximising the delivery of the infrastructure in parallel with development. This is an important, but not final opportunity, for residents and stakeholders to provide their views and I anticipate a high response rate to ensure we gather the widest range of opinions to develop the plan."

Cllr John Cooke, Warwick District Council's Portfolio Holder for Place, Arts and Economy says: "We want to involve residents every step of the way and this consultation presents a great opportunity to have your say on the issues and options identified following your initial feedback in May last year.  I would encourage you to work together with us so that we can achieve a Local Plan for South Warwickshire, that not only delivers the progressive climate change, biodiversity, and connectivity ambitions of both councils, but one that will reflect the creative, specialist and expert contributions of those who live, work, and visit South Warwickshire."  

You can find out more information on the new South Warwickshire Local Plan at www.southwarwicksire.org.uk/swlp