The Core Strategy is a central pillar of the Local Development Framework, comprising:

1. A vision;
2. Strategic objectives;
3. A spatial land use strategy; 
4. Core policies and;
5. A monitoring and implementation framework. 

The Core Strategy is a Development Plan Document which will determine overall patterns of future development within the area, identifying broad locations for future growth or conservation up to the year 2021.  All other Development Plan Documents, should be in broad conformity with the Core Strategy Document.

The Core Strategy is a mandatory document, and a timetable for its production is set out within the Local Development Scheme. 

Three drafts of the Core Strategy will be prepared and consulted on before the final document is adopted for use by the Council.  These three drafts are set out below:
    1.  Issues and Options Document
    2.  Preferred Options Document
    3.  Submission Document.

PROGRESS TO DATE

The Shaping Places and Spaces Conference was held in June 2005.  A number of key interests were invited to this event, with the aim of identifying the key issues that exist within the plan area, to which the LDF could provide a response.  Please click here to view details of this consultation event.

Core Strategy Issues and Options:
The issues identified during the conference, together with a number of options for how the LDF could address them were put together to form the first draft of the Core Strategy, the Issues and Options Draft. 

As part of the Council’s pre-submission consultation and in line with Regulation 25 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Development) (England) Regulations 2004, the Core Strategy Issues and Options consultation papers were issued for a statutory 6-week consultation period, which ran from Monday 19th June - Monday 31st July 2006.  For details of this consultation event, and to view the Issues and Options papers please click here.

Core Strategy Preferred Option:
As part of the preparation of the second draft of the Core Strategy, the 'Preferred Option', a workshop event was held in January 2007 to provide feedback on the comments received in response to the Issues and Options consultation papers.  To view details of this event please click here.

The Preferred Option draft, which was written to incorporate the comments received in response to the Issues and Options consultation and the follow-up workshop, underwent a second statutory consultation period from 12th October to 23rd November 2007, in line with Regulation 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Development) (England) Regulations 2004.

For further information on this consultation event, and to view the Core Strategy Preferred Option Draft please click here.

Next Steps:
Following the Preferred Options Consultation, the Core Strategy will be modified again into a final 'Submission Draft'.  This draft will undergo a third round of public consultation, and will be submitted to the Secretary of State for approval.  The Submission draft will undergo an Examination in Public to ensure that all the proper steps have been taken in the production of the Core Strategy, and the content of the Submission draft is 'sound'. 

It is expected that the final draft of the Core Strategy will be adopted for use by the Council in Autumn 2009.

Sustainability Appraisal of the Core Strategy
The Core Strategy (along with all other LDDs) is subject to a Sustainability Appraisal (SA) to ensure that the policies and strategies adopted are sustainable in environmental, social and economic terms.  Please refer to the Sustainability Appraisal page to view SA Documents which have been produced in line with the Core Strategy.