Core Strategy

canal

A local planning strategy for South Staffordshire, known as a Core Strategy, is being prepared and is at the heart of the Local Plan for South Staffordshire. It will set out the long-term vision for our communities, objectives and policies to guide the future development of the District. It will set out how much development will take place locally and how it will be delivered.

Core Strategy Examination

An independent Planning Inspector, Mr Simon Berkeley BA MA MRTPI, was appointed to hold a Public Examination into the Core Strategy. Hearing sessions began on 29th November 2011 and ran until 1st December 2011 at the Council Offices, Wolverhampton Road, Codsall. For more information on the Examintion click here.

Submission of the Core Strategy

Following on from the publication of the Core Strategy in March this year, we formally submitted the Core Strategy to the Secretary of State for Independent Examination on 9th September 2011. An independent planning Inspector, Mr Simon Berkeley BA MA MRTPI has been appointed to undertake an Examination in Public on the Core Strategy. The role of the Inspector is to consider whether the document is legally compliant and satisfies the criteria for soundness.

The examination process will include a number of hearing sessions which will begin on the 29th November 2011 at 10am. These hearing sessions will debate the main issues identified by the Inspector.

You can view the Core Strategy and main submission documents below. We have also put copies of these documents in Solutions (Council Offices, Codsall), at our Parish Council Offices and at Libraries across the District. If you would like copies of the Core Strategy or any of the supporting documents please contact a member of the Development Plans Team. To view other documents which underpin the Core Strategy click here: Evidence Base

PDF: Core Strategy

PDF: Schedule of Typographical Amendments

PDF: Schedule of Minor Amendments

PDF: Sustainability Appraisal Report

PDF: Habitats Regulations Assessment

PDF: Regulation 30(1) (d) Consultation

PDF: Regulation 30(1) (e) Consultation

PDF: Evidence Base Signposting*

PDF: Evidence Base Summary Table*

PDF: Soundness Self Assessment

PDF: Legal Compliance Self Assessment

PDF: Regional Spatial Strategy Conformity Self Assessment

PDF: Regulation 30(3)(iii) Statement

PDF: Adopted SCI

External Link: Representations to Publication

*The links contained in these documents were correct at the time of submission

PDF: Key to Proposals Map

PDF: Proposals Map

PDF: Acton Trussell (Inset Plan 1)

PDF: Bednall (Inset Plan 2)

PDF: Bishops Wood (Inset Plan 3)

PDF: Blymhill (Inset Plan 4)

PDF: Bobbington (Inset Plan 5)

PDF: Brewood (Inset Plan 6)

PDF: Calf Heath (Inset Plan 7)

PDF: Codsall Wood (Inset Plan 8)

PDF: Coppenhall (Inset Plan 9)

PDF: Coven (Inset Plan 10)

PDF: Dunston (Inset Plan 11)

PDF: Enville (Inset Plan 12)

PDF: Essington & Upper Sneyd Road (Inset Plan 13)

PDF: Featherstone (Inset Plan 14)

PDF: Four Ashes (Inset Plan 15)

PDF: Gospel End (Inset Plan 16)

PDF: Hilton Main (Inset Plan 17)

PDF: Himley (Inset Plan 18)

PDF: Huntington (Inset Plan 19)

PDF: Lapley (Inset Plan 20)

PDF: Langley Road (Inset Plan 21)

PDF: Lawnswood (Inset Plan 22)

PDF: Lower Penn (Inset Plan 23)

PDF: Newtown (Inset Plan 24)

PDF: New Wood (Inset Plan 25)

PDF: Pattingham (Inset Plan 26)

PDF: Radford Lane (Inset Plan 27)

PDF: Seisdon (Inset Plan 28)

PDF: Shareshill (Inset Plan 29)

PDF: Showell Lane & Lloyd Hill (Inset Plan 30)

PDF: Sneyd Lane (Inset Plan 31)

PDF: South Staffordshire College (Rodbaston) (Inset Plan 32)

PDF: Springhill (Inset Plan 33)

PDF: Stourton (Inset Plan 34)

PDF: Swindon (Inset Plan 35)

PDF: Trysull (Inset Plan 36)

PDF: Upper Penn (Sedgley Road) (Inset Plan 37)

PDF: Wedges Mills (Inset Plan 38)

PDF: Westcroft (Inset Plan 39)

PDF: Weston-under-Lizard (Inset Plan 40)

PDF: Wheaton Aston (Inset Plan 41)

PDF: Wobaston Road (Inset Plan 42)

PDF: Wolverhampton (Halfpenny Green) Airport (Inset Plan 43)

PDF: Cheslyn Hay & Great Wyrley (Inset Plan 44)

PDF: Codsall, Bilbrook& Oaken (Inset Plan 45)

PDF: Kinver (Inset Plan 46)

PDF: Penkridge (Inset Plan 47)

PDF: Perton (Inset Plan 48)

PDF: Wombourne (Inset Plan 49)

Programme Officer

A Programme Officer has been appointed as the main point of contact for any person who has made representations at the Pre-Submission Publication stage, and will act as a liaison between the District Council, the Inspector and the Examination participants.

The Programme Officer is responsible for organising and managing the administrative and procedural matters of the examination and is the first point of contact for all matters relating to the Core Strategy Examination in Public.

Contact Details:

Amanda Willis - Programme Officer

Planning and Strategic Services

South Staffordshire Council

Council Offices

Wolverhampton Road

Codsall

South Staffordshire

WV8 1PX

Tel: 01902 696318

Email: Programme.Officer@sstaffs.gov.uk

Next Steps

Following the closure of the examination, the Inspector will issue the Council with a binding report setting out any changes which we may be required to make to the Core Strategy before it is adopted as a Development Plan Document. It is anticipated that the Inspector’s binding report will be issued in February/March 2012.

Consultation Stages to date

To date, a great deal of work and consultation has been carried out on the local planning strategy for South Staffordshire. Previous consultation stages and responses will help inform the content of the final draft strategy, as will the extensive work on the Evidence Base.

Further information on the consultation stages for the Core Strategy can be seen below, most recent first:

Publication Stage

The publication Core Strategy was submitted for 8 weeks, from Monday 14th March to 5pm on Friday 6th May 2011, for representations to be made, and was the final opportunity for stakeholders to make representations prior to the formal submission of the Core Strategy to the Secretary of State. The publication stage was not a public participation or consultation stage but was the opportunity for anyone dissatisfied (or satisfied) with the Core Strategy to make formal representations to the Planning Inspector about its ‘soundness’.

The ‘Tests of Soundness’ are summarised below.

To be ‘sound’ a Core Strategy should be Justified, Effective and consistent with National Policy.

‘Justified’ means that the document must be;

founded on a robust and credible evidence base

the most appropriate strategy when considered against the reasonable alternatives

‘Effective’ means that the document must be:

Deliverable

Flexible

able to be monitored

National policy can be viewed on the Communities and Local Government website.

Core Strategy Policy Choices Consultation Policy H4 - Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople - March 2010

Earlier this year, the Council carried out consultation on a proposed local planning policy for the Core Strategy to consider Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople provision in the District.

PDF: Policy H4 'Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople'

The Consultation ended on 24^th May 2010. You can view the responses to this consultation by visiting our On-line Consultation System. A “Consultation Summary Statement” is currently being prepared by the Council, and will be available on the website in due course.

Supporting documents:

PDF: Final Consultation Statement

PDF: Policy H4 'Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople' Legal Notices

Word Document: Consultation Statement

As a result of the consultation process, it was recognised that a policy vacuum exists in respect of Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople provision, and the Council has decided to adopt the emerging local planning policy as Council policy. In essence this is an interim measure pending its inclusion within the Council's Core Strategy. The policy was adopted by Full Council on 5^th October 2010. Accordingly, the Council will use this adopted Council policy as a material planning consideration when determining planning applications until the Core Strategy is adopted. Please see our Supplementary Planning Documents page for further details.

Core Strategy Policy Choices Consultation - January 2010

Following the consultation of the Preferred Spatial Strategy in January 2009, the Council prepared a discrete Policy Choices Consultation Document. The document contained the proposed Core and Development planning policies to be included in the Core Strategy that are needed to deliver the spatial strategy and to steer and shape development in the District.

The Consultation ended on 22^nd March 2010. You can view the responses to this consultation by visiting our On-line Consultation System. A “Consultation Summary Statement” is currently being prepared by the Council, and will be available on the website in due course.

Supporting documents:

PDF: Final Consultation Statement

PDF: Policy Choices Legal Notices

PDF: Interim Sustainability Appraisal of the Core Strategy

PDF: Interim Habitats Regulations Assessment of the Core Strategy

Core Strategy Preferred Spatial Strategy - January 2009

The Council prepared a Draft Preferred Spatial Strategy document in January 2009, which set out the Council's Preferred Spatial Strategy for the District and the planning policies needed for steering and shaping development. An explanatory leaflet was also produced.

The Consultation ended on 6^th April 2009. You can view the responses to this consultation by visiting our online consultation system. A “Consultation Summary Statement” has also been prepared by the Council.

Supporting documents:

PDF: Preferred Spatial Strategy Explanatory Leaflet

PDF: Preferred Spatial Strategy Consultation Summary Statement

PDF: Preferred Spatial Strategy Legal Notices

PDF: Core Strategy DPD Sustainability Appraisal

PDF: Appropriate Assessment Review of Preferred Spatial Strategy

Core Strategy Development Policies Consultation - August 2008

In line with Government guidance, the Council took the decision in April 2008 to include detailed Development Policies in the Core Strategy to guide future development in the District, instead of producing a separate document.

Following this decision, the Council prepared a Core Strategy Development Policies Consultation Paper, which consulted on some of the key policy areas that will need to be addressed in the formulation of detailed development policies for the Core Strategy. The Consultation ended on 26^th September 2008. A “Consultation Summary Statement” has been prepared by the Council.

Supporting documents:

PDF: Development Policies Consultation Paper Consultation Summary Statement

Word Document: Development Policies Consultation Paper Legal Notices

Core Strategy Alternative Spatial Strategy Options - December 2007

Consultation with key delivery agencies (service and infrastructure providers) was carried out in December 2007 and January 2008, in order to ensure that the Core Strategy is soundly based and that the Council can demonstrate that it has given proper consideration to alternative options. Furthermore, it is important that the Council has a clear understanding of the implications of alternative options for service and infrastructure provision.

An Alternative Spatial Strategy Options consultation paper was published and workshops were held to discuss the options. The Consultation ended on 21^st January 2008. A Summary of Responses to the Workshop and Alternative Spatial Strategies consultation has been prepared by the Council.

Supporting documents:

PDF: Alternative Spatial Strategy Options Workshop and Consultation Summary Statement

Wolverhampton Airport Policy Area Issues and Options - January 2007

The Council originally proposed to produce a separate local planning document for Wolverhampton Airport. The purpose of document was to set a framework for and policies to define the role of the Airport. Following a change in government guidance, the Council considered that policies for the Airport would be better located in the Core Strategy as it means that policies could be in place earlier.

An Issues and Options Paper for the Airport was published for consultation in January 2007. A number of exhibitions were held locally to give as many people as possible the opportunity to discuss the issues and options with officers. The consultation period ran from 29^th January 2007 to 12^th March 2007 and over 400 responses were received. A Summary Leaflet was also produced which explained the issues and options considered in the consultation document. As part of the consultation process, a workshop was held with key partners and stakeholders. A summary of the workshop can be viewed below.

PDF: Issues and Options Consultation Statement Final Report (July 2008)

PDF: Wolverhampton Airport Issues and Options Paper

PDF: Wolverhampton Airport Consultation Summary Statement

PDF: Wolverhampton Airport Legal Notices

PDF: Wolverhampton Airport Interim Sustainability Appraisal

Word Document: Workshop Summary

Core Strategy Issues and Options - October 2006

A Core Strategy Issues and Options Paper was published for consultation in October 2006 to question what issues the Core Strategy should cover, and what different options might address the challenges facing the district. A number of district wide exhibitions were held to give as many people as possible the opportunity to discuss the issues and options with officers.

The Consultation ended on 11^th December 2006. A “Consultation Summary Statement” has been prepared by the Council.

Supporting documents:

PDF: Core Strategy Issues and Options Paper

PDF: Core Strategy Issues and Options Summary Leaflet

PDF: Core Strategy Issues and Options Consultation Summary Statement

PDF: Interim Core Strategy Issues and Options Sustainability Appraisal

PDF: Sustainability Appraisal Summary Leaflet