A key planning document which will shape the future development of South Worcestershire has been submitted to The Planning Inspectorate.
The South Worcestershire Development Plan Review (SWDPR) will now be scrutinised by an independently appointed planning inspector at a date to be confirmed.
The submission of the Plan follows last November’s Regulation-19 consultation, which received more than 1,500 comments. They have all been passed to the inspector for consideration.
As part of the process, a series of public hearings will be held and those who commented as part of the Regulation-19 consultation may be called by the inspector to speak at the hearings. This is known as an examination in public.
The inspector will assess whether the Plan meets the four tests of soundness set out in the National Planning Policy Framework.
To meet the tests the Plan must be:
- consistent with national planning policy
- have a clear strategy to meet development and infrastructure requirements including unmet needs from neighbouring councils
- be deliverable over the Plan period
- justified by evidence demonstrating it is the most appropriate strategy when compared to reasonable alternatives
Once the examination has finished, the inspector will send a report to Malvern Hills District, Worcester City and Wychavon District Councils with any changes that need to be made to make the Plan sound.
The Plan allocates land for 13,240 additional new homes and 290.7 hectares of employment land to be delivered by 2041. This will help meet the Government requirement to allocate land to build 26,360 new homes and 350.5 hectares of employment land across south Worcestershire from 2021 to 2041. Not all sites in the Plan are new, with some being carried over from the last version of the SWDP and sites that already have planning permission being taken into account.
The majority of the new housing will be met through strategic growth sites at Worcestershire Parkway, Throckmorton, Rushwick, and Mitton.
It is expected Malvern Hills District, Worcester City and Wychavon District Councils will be in a position to adopt the Plan in late 2024, but the timing of this will be subject to the Planning Inspectorate’s timetable for the examination.
A Programme Officer has been appointed, who is independent of the South Worcestershire Councils, and who will liaise with the Inspector on behalf of the South Worcestershire Councils during the examination period. Once appointed, any matters anyone wishes to raise with the Inspector should be submitted to the Programme Officer in the first instance.
The Plan, supporting documents and the Programme Officer’s contact information can also be found online at https://www.localplanservices.co.uk/swdpreview . Anyone wishing to view the documents in person can do so by appointment between 9 a.m. and 5 pm Monday to Friday at any of the South Worcestershire Councils’ offices. To book an appointment, people should email the SWDPR team the relevant address and indicate which document they would like to view.
policy.plans@malvernhills.gov.uk
Paper copies of the SWDPR, the Sustainability Appraisal and Habitats Regulation assessment, the Statement of Consultation and Statement of Compliance can be viewed at local libraries across South Worcestershire and the Civic Centre in Pershore.
South Worcestershire Development Plan