Core Strategy
What is the Core Strategy?
The Core Strategy will set out the strategic planning framework for the District. All other Local Development Framework policy documents will build on the principles it contains and must comply with it.
It will explore, in general terms, the levels of development that will be needed to be accommodated across the District; the type of economy we wish to promote, and the role of the various towns and villages in providing services, housing and facilities for local people.
Timetable for production
1. Background work
The City Council began work on the Core Strategy in the summer of 2006. We have gathered a whole range of facts and figures about the District which are being used to inform the content of the Core Strategy and other parts of the LDF. Several technical studies have been commissioned and are available to view in the evidence base and others will be added as soon as they are completed. In addition we asked for your views on the future of the District as part of the 'Live for the Future' campaign, the results of which can be viewed on our consultation page.
2. Issues and Options
Using all the information we have gathered we prepared an 'Issues and Options' paper. This set out the key issues facing the District in the next 20 years, which the Core Strategy can help to address. It gave different options for the directions the District might take and consulted people on these.
The Issues and Options document was agreed at the LDF Cabinet on 6th December 2007 and was open to consultation until 15th February 2008. Nearly 3000 responses were received and these are currently being considered by the City Council along with the other responses gathered from the workshops, and the evidence base studies. More information on the Issues and Options.
What Happens Next?
Since the Issues and Options consultation was carried out, the programme for the Core Strategy has changed. This is due to three key reasons:
- The exceptional amount of interest which has been shown in the Issues and Options consultation (about 3000 responses have been received);
- Uncertainty over the changes that the revised Planning Policy Statement 12 and the new Regulations would make to the process;
- Continued delay by the Government in publishing its Proposed Changes to the draft South East Plan, leading to uncertainty over housing and other requirements (The Proposed Changes were published on 17th July 2008 -. click here for more information).
In view of this, it is anticipated that a Preferred Options document will be published for consultation in April 2009. This will set out suggested strategic policies for the District. We are in the process of preparing a more detailed programme for the next stages of the Core Strategy and futher information will be available later in the year.
