Extra two years needed to tackle huge South Warwickshire Local Plan
AN EXTRA two years will be needed to complete the new South Warwickshire Joint Local Plan.
The detailed document, which sets out a council’s vision for the area, as well as where and what types of development will be allowed, is being worked on as a joint project between Stratford and Warwick district councils.
Originally, it had been the aim to have the plan adopted by the end of 2025, but a number of factors have seen the timetable slip and a new target date suggested – the end of 2027.
Stratford District Council’s cabinet will last Thursday (23rd November) with their Warwick counterparts to discuss the work completed so far and to consider a new, recommended timetable.
A report states that the current timetable, agreed in March last year, has been reviewed and requires updating as it had listed a consultation on the preferred options – the land and sites that could be included in the local plan – to have taken place earlier this year, starting in July. “Clearly this has not taken place,” it adds.
Officers say there are a number of reasons for this, including a delay to the publication if 2021 Census data which resulted in a delay to the production of the Coventry & Warwickshire Housing and Economic Development Needs Assessment, described as a key piece of evidence needed to support the plan.
There were also “technical challenges with working across two organisations, for example compatibility of software, procurement of software and data sharing” and “staff departures and temporary vacancies”.
The report adds that changes to the administrations of both councils – the Liberal Democrats took control from the Conservative in Stratford while Warwick’s council is now a coalition – meant there was a need for all parties to understand the progress on the plan and have an opportunity for them to have their input in the process.
The new timetable would see the preferred options approved by October next year, followed by a public consultation. It would then be the target to have a document to approve in September 2025, more public engagement and the polished version submitted to the secretary of state in summer 2026 and a public examination of the local plan to test that it’s fit for purpose towards the end of 2026.
That leaves a year to get the plan to the stage where it is adopted. And that’s if the process is not changed by the current government or whoever is in power after the general election.
Not having a local plan in place does leave areas open to developers to build almost wherever – and whatever – they like. However, Stratford has a four-year safety net with its current local plan, which runs until 2031.
The report adds that the local plan is “arguably the most important policy document that the council prepares” and will cost an estimated £2.2 million to complete, excluding staff costs. This cost will be shared equally between the two councils.
So far, work on the new Local Plan includes two calls for sites as well as an ‘Issues and Options’ consultation to examine issues raised about sites and various options to overcome them.
In total there were 107 questions and 1,175 people/organisations responded to the consultation.
