The government requires all local planning authorities to update their local plans every five years.
We began the review of our current Local Plan in 2018. The stages of the review are set out below:
- Issues and Options – 2018
- Spatial Housing Strategy and Infrastructure Delivery (SHSID) – 2019
- Preferred Options – 2021
- Publication Plan (Pre-submission) - 2022
Statement - July 2023
In January this year, work on the review of our new Local Plan was paused awaiting clarity from the government on proposed changes to national planning policy which could have implications for us as a green belt authority.
The council firmly believes that the best way to stop unplanned development is to have a sound Local Plan in place. With this in mind, the council is revisiting the evidence that underpins the plan and is now moving forward again, aiming to undertake a new public consultation in early 2024.
We are still awaiting the outcomes of the government’s consultation on their proposed changes, but they have given no indication of when this will be or what form they will take.
In the meantime, the council wants to make sure that the evidence that underpins the plan remains relevant and that South Staffordshire has a strategy ready to get its plan in place as quickly as possible.
No decisions have yet been made about what changes there might be to the previously published plan, but we are pleased to be working proactively for our district and our residents.