Stroud District Core Strategy

• What is the Core Strategy?
• What should be in the Core Strategy?
• What happens next?

What is the Core Strategy?

Stroud District Council is in the early stages of drafting an important new planning framework for the District. Known as the Local Development Framework (LDF), this will eventually supersede the current Local Plan – but unlike the Local Plan, the Local Development Framework is made up of a portfolio of separate planning policy documents, which address different policy topics.

At the centre of this will be the Core Strategy: this is a broad-brush policy document, which will provide an overview of the District and how it should evolve up to 2026. The Core Strategy forms the basis of planning policy decisions for the District, and it will set the context for other more detailed planning policy documents in the future.

What should be in the Core Strategy?

So what will be in the Core Strategy? And how do we make sure it really meets the needs of the Stroud district and makes the most of the assets we have?

The Core Strategy won’t be finally adopted until 2011 and you can get involved and Have Your Say at various points during its production. Have a look at the Core Strategy consultation page to find out how; or scroll down to see a timescale and what happens next.

Although the process is still in its early days and much has yet to be decided, the final Core Strategy is likely to be divided up into four broad topic areas:

1: Spatial Strategy

This part will paint a broad-brush picture of how much new development should take place across the district over the next 20 years and beyond, and (in very general terms) what should go where.

It will consider the d istribution of various kinds of development around the District – setting out, for example, whether there should there be an urban focus (e.g. around the Gloucester fringe, Stroud, Stonehouse, Cam & Dursley); whether development should be dispersed around rural settlements; or whether there should be a mixture of the two. It will establish broad principles about acceptable levels of development in the countryside, and may include the definition of settlement boundaries and a settlement hierarchy (main towns, rural service centres, other villages…). As part of this, we'll be looking at questions such as;

• Should there be a review of the defined settlement boundaries?
• Is the settlement hierarchy working well for the District?

2: Economy, Employment and Infrastructure

The Core Strategy should set out how the District's economy will be strengthened and supported. It will aid the delivery of required infrastructure and will encourage sustainable forms of transport.

This part of the plan could deal with topics like employment land, town centres and retail, the rural economy and tourism, road and traffic management, public transport and alternatives such as walking and cycling.

3: Homes and Sustainable Communities

A key aim for the Core Strategy will be to create sustainable communities – making sure that enough housing and facilities can be provided to meet the community's needs, and that they are located in the right places. It will consider how existing facilities can be protected and promoted.

Under this heading, the plan could cover themes such as housing (including appropriate densities, types, sizes and tenures), provision of affordable housing, provision and access to facilities and services, and how developer contributions could provide support.

4: Our Environment and Surroundings

The Core Strategy aims to protect and enhance the natural and built environment of Stroud District. It will also consider more global issues, like how development can help to combat the causes and effects of climate change.

Producing the Core Strategy – what happens next?

The Core Strategy won't be finally adopted until 2011. The agreed timetable is set out in our current Local Development Scheme. However, there has been slippage in this and a revised estimated timetable is set out below. The Council is currently consulting on “Alternative Strategies”. These will eventually be refined down to the Preferred Strategy and it will be submitted to the Secretary of State for examination and approval. The draft “Preferred Core Strategy” document will be published to allow everyone to comment and, if necessary, suggest changes prior to submission.

• In March 2009, we published a discussion paper and questionnaire about Key Issues facing the district.
• In February 2010, we published an “alternative strategies” document for consideration and comment before 22 March 2010.
• In September2010 we aim to publish the draft “preferred strategy”) and there will be 6 weeks of public consultation on it.
• In January 2011, the finalised Core Strategy will be submitted to the Secretary of State.
• There will be a Public Examination of the document in Spring 2011
• The anticipated date for final adoption and publication is September 2011

If you wish to make comments on the Core Strategy please send them via email to core@stroud.gov.uk or alternatively write to the team at the Council Offices:

Planning Strategy Team
Stroud District Council
Ebley Mill
Westward Road
Stroud
Gloucestershire
GL5 4UB

or telephone: 01453 754143