South Warwickshire Local Plan - Latest News
South Warwickshire Local Plan Timetable
An updated South Warwickshire Local Plan Timetable was agreed by members of the Joint Cabinet/Executive Committee on 23rd November 2023. The next stage of consultation will be the Preferred Options, timetabled for late 2024.
Spatial Growth Options
At the Member Advisory Group on 18th January 2024, discussions were had regarding the South Warwickshire Local Plan Spatial Growth Options. Consideration was given to the consultation feedback as well as the existing evidence on the five Growth Options presented in the Issues and Options Consultation. The discussion concluded with an agreement that Growth Option 5 of the Issues and Options Consultation, the Dispersed Option, would not be taken forward to the next stage of the Local Plan. This decision was agreed on the basis that the Dispersed Option would not meet the overarching principles that the Local Plan is seeking to achieve.
For further details on the rationale of this decision being reached, please see the attached supplementary paper.
Retail and Town Centres Study
Our 'Retail and Town Centre Uses' study was completed in January 2024, and is now publicly available. The study is an assessment of the vitality and viability of town centres, their role within South Warwickshire, the existing supply, future needs, as well as the capacity and future approaches to accommodate these needs. The study contributes to our technical evidence needed for the emerging local plan. This study can now be found on the South Warwickshire Local Plan Website on our Technical Evidence Webpage.
Climate Change Evidence Base
The emerging SWLP aims to embody the shared vision of Warwick District Council and Stratford-on-Avon District Council for planning policy to play a decisive role in addressing the challenges posed by climate change. To inform the SWLP, the councils have appointed consultants to develop a climate change evidence base to understand opportunities for climate change resilience in South Warwickshire, the current condition of the land across the plan area, and how this could be protected and best utilised for climate change resilience.
Consultants have conducted a study to assess the potential for climate change resilience measures through the form of Nature-based Solutions (NbS). This is an umbrella term for interventions that create new climate change resilience assets - features that are designed with nature to restore ecosystems, reverse biodiversity loss, manage water, and tackle the negative effects of climate change.
A study which provides general analysis of various renewable energy technologies and recommendations on the suitability of renewable and decentralised systems in South Warwickshire has also been produced.
The two reports will be published on our Technical Evidence Webpage in due course.
Green Belt Study
Overview
The SWLP team have now appointed consultants to conduct a Green Belt review. This is a vital piece of technical evidence, as the study will help to inform decisions that ensure growth in South Warwickshire is directed to the most suitable areas.
Why is this needed?
Parts of South Warwickshire lie within the West Midlands Green Belt, which is a policy designation intended to check the unrestricted sprawl of the West Midlands conurbation. The Green Belt review will assess how well different areas of land perform against the "5 purposes" of Green Belts*, as set out in national policy. The study will also consider the impact on the wider Green Belt designation if the boundaries were altered to release particular areas of land for development.
Expected Timeline:
The Green Belt review is expected to report in two stages:
1. Stage one will provide an initial assessment of broad areas of land and will be published alongside the Preferred Option consultation, which is scheduled for late 2024.
2. Stage two will focus on specific sites and villages, expected in early 2025.
*NPPF: "143. Green Belt serves 5 purposes: (a) to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas; (b) to prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another; (c) to assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment; (d) to preserve the setting and special character of historic towns; and (e) to assist in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land".
Place Analysis Workshops
In early March officers ran Place Analysis Workshops with a number of key stakeholders. The workshops provided the opportunity for local stakeholders to work together with the District Councils to discuss matters relating to a number of settlements across South Warwickshire.
The workshops involved highlighting any key existing development constraints, identifying place zones within a settlement, and undertaking a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis of the settlement. This will be used to identify potential development areas which could be used to overcome some of the existing constraints and challenges.
The intention is that the information gathered at the workshops will inform the development of the overall preferred growth strategy for South Warwickshire, alongside a range of other pieces of evidence that the Councils are preparing. Officers will also be running a similar exercise with Members, expected in late May.
