The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government is today publishing Proposed Changes to the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) for the East Midlands “The East Midlands Plan”.
The Regional Plan provides a regional framework for development and investment up to 2026 and is part of the statutory development plan for every local authority in the East Midlands.
The consultation gives the Government an opportunity to hear views on the published proposals from all who want to comment. The public consultation will last until 17 October 2008. After considering the responses the Government will publish the final version of the East Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy.
We encourage people to view the documents and comment on them on-line and your opportunity to comment on the Proposed Changes, is available via the Regional Planning page. Other documents also published include the Schedule of Changes, which includes the an overview of the main changes, reasons for the changes and a Schedule which lists extant and saved Structure Plan policies and how they will be replaced by RSS policies. Also published for consultation are the Sustainability Appraisal relating to the Proposed Changes and a Habitats Regulations Assessment.
The Proposed Changes follow the Public Examination held between May and July 2007 and the Panel Report published on 28 November 2007.
The Panel Report endorsed the strategy set out in the draft RSS, but made numerous recommendations to clarify and improve it. The Secretary of State has considered all of the Panel’s recommendations, along with other relevant evidence and has also incorporated changes deriving from the Sustainability Appraisal and Habitats Regulations Assessment.
The main changes that are proposed include:
• Increased housing growth across the region to 21,750 per year for the period 2006-26. Much of the additional growth is proposed in and around the main cities of Derby, Leicester and Nottingham, recognising growth related to Growth Point agreements in those cities and surrounding areas (i.e. the Three Cities Growth Point) and in other Growth Point agreements at Lincoln, Newark and Grantham.
• No change to Growth Area plans in Northamptonshire, which were set in the Milton Keynes & South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy in 2005, though the plan period for the area is extended to 2026 and the housing provision figure for Northampton is replaced following a successful legal challenge (in 2006) which quashed the original figure.
• Reduction in housing provision in Lincolnshire coastal districts (East Lindsey, Boston and South Holland) pending a coastal strategy being agreed which will consider growth needs and flood risk implications.
• A new policy relating to affordable housing in rural areas has been added, and increased pitch requirements for Gypsies and Travellers are also proposed.
• Rejection of the Panel’s recommendation to delete Green Belt areas around Nottingham.
• Removal of site specific references to major development sites around Nottingham, Leicester and Lincoln.
• A new policy on Strategic Distribution.
• A requirement for the Implementation Plan to be removed from the Regional Plan and for it to be recast as a freestanding document to be published alongside the Plan and then updated by the Regional Planning Body (i.e. the East Midlands Regional Assembly) on a regular basis.
Copies of all the relevant documents have been sent to local authorities and parish councils both within the region and bordering the region, and have also been provided to all the Region’s MPs and MEPs, to regional organisations and to participants at last year’s Examination. Copies will be available to examine at libraries and local authority offices throughout the region or can be requested from the Sustainable Communities team at the Government Office. These will normally be provided by CD-ROM. Note that together all the published documents total over 1,300 pages.
Government Office contact details are on the Regional Planning page.
Note that we encourage people to view the documents and submit comments online wherever possible.
