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Our Core Strategy sets out the overall planning vision and framework for the city from 2006 to 2021 and beyond. It was formally adopted by Full Council on 23 April 2007.

The Core Strategy is about how land is used and considers how places work, how people get around, the services available to them and the communities they're part of. It includes an outline for delivering strategic development needs for Plymouth's future, including housing, employment, leisure and retail. All other development plan documents must conform to the Core Strategy.

Adopted

The Core Strategy was adopted by Full Council on 23 April 2007.

Foreword

Chapter 6, Economy

Chapter 7, Shopping

Chapter 9, Education

Chapter 12, Minerals

Chapter 13, Waste

Core Strategy: Adopted

Inspector's letter and report

Before the Core Strategy could be adopted, an independent Inspector was appointed by the Secretary of State to examine the 'soundness' of the submitted Core Strategy. The Inspector reported back to the Council on 3 April 2007 stating that the Core Strategy was sound with agreed changes.

Statement of Adoption

Environmental Statement

Public examination

Additional documents submitted for the Core Strategy public examination:

The degree of conformity of housing and employment provision with the Structure Plan RSS

Attended by Planning Inspector, Plymouth City Council, Taylor Woodrow Development Ltd.

CS 1947A

Whether the assumption on housing growth and locations are sound and sufficiently justified

Attended by Planning Inspector, Plymouth City Council, Wharfside Regeneration Ltd, the National Trust, Persimmon Homes and Taylor Woodrow Development Ltd.

CS 0373A

CS 0326B

CS 1947B

Whether the assumptions on employment growth and land supply are sound and sufficiently justified

Attended by Planning Inspector, Plymouth City Council, Wharfside Regeneration Ltd, Taylor Woodrow Developments Ltd.

CS 1947F

Whether the area visions and strategies are appropriately detailed, linked and prioritised

Attended by Planning Inspector, Plymouth City Council, Wharfside Regeneration Ltd, Persimmon Homes, Mr G Ackers, Mr Osborne, Dawnan Ltd and Mr R J Rees.

CS0326C

CS0674A

CS0709A

Whether the retail strategy is supported by appropriate evidence

Attended by Planning Inspector, Plymouth City Council, Wharfside Regeneration Ltd, Leonara Estates (Plymouth) Ltd, Plymouth and South West Co-operative Society, Dawnan Ltd, Walker Developments (South West) Ltd.

CS 0675A

CS 1981A

CS 0709B

CS 0326D

Whether the appropriate level of affordable housing and other special needs housing will be delivered

Attended by Planning Inspector, Plymouth City Council, South Hams District Council, Sunnybank Homes.

CS 1656A

Whether the public transport provisions are credible and likely to deliver more sustainable transport choices

Attended by Planning Inspector, Plymouth City Council, Highways Agency, Wharfside Regeneration Ltd, Plymouth and South West Co-operative.

CS 0326A

CS 1944A

CS 0028A

Whether cross border transportation issues are properly considered

Attended by Planning Inspector, Plymouth City Council, Highways Agency, Mr Rodgers, Plymouth and South West Co-operative.

CS 1976A

CS 0028A

Whether sufficient encouragement and incentive is given to reduce the city's carbon footprint, and whether flood risk is sufficiently considered

Attended by Planning Inspector, Plymouth City Council, The Environment Agency.

CS 0026B

To what extent, if at all, should airport expansion be encouraged, having regard to the need to reduce carbon emissions

Attended by Planning Inspector, Plymouth City Council, The Environment Agency, Plymouth Green Party.

CS 0026A

Submitted

The Core Strategy has been submitted to the Secretary of State.

The public examination took place from 30 January 2007. The Inspector's report was received on 3 April 2007.

Public examination

The examination started on 30 January 2007 and was based on the matters identified by the Inspector below:

Matters discussed at the public examination:

  • The degree of conformity of housing and employment provision with the structure plan RSS
  • Whether the assumption on housing growth and locations are sound and sufficiently justified
  • Whether the assumptions on employment growth and land supply are sound and sufficiently justified
  • Whether the area visions and strategies are appropriately detailed, linked and prioritised
  • Whether the retail strategy is supported by appropriate evidence
  • Whether the appropriate level of affordable housing and other special needs housing will be delivered
  • Whether the public transport provisions are credible and likely to deliver more sustainable transport choices
  • Whether cross border transportation issues are properly considered
  • Whether sufficient encouragement and incentive is given to reduce the city's carbon footprint, and whether flood risk is sufficiently considered
  • To what extent, if at all, should airport expansion be encouraged, having regard to the need to reduce carbon emissions

Documents submitted to the Inspector during this time are available on the public examination page.

Response schedule

Design statement

PPS3 housing statement

Pre-examination meeting

The purpose of the pre-examinations meetings is to provide an opportunity for procedural and administrative matters relating to the examinations to be explained and discussed. The pre-examination meeting is an opportunity for you to raise any issues that may be causing concern, but it will not be the right time for a discussion on the merits of the representations made.

The pre-examination meeting was held on Tuesday 28 November 2007 at 10am in the Council House.

Preferred options

A Core Strategy preferred options report was produced as part of the second stage of preparing Plymouth's Local Development Framework (LDF), built on the earlier issues and options consultation stage (Spring 2005).

The report sets out (for consultation) our proposed policy directions and highlights alternatives where appropriate. The report will be a material consideration in the development control process.

Where there's a conflict between the preferred policy direction set out in this report and the provisions of Plymouth's First Deposit Local Plan, this report will take precedence.

Key changes to the preferred options

The document below sets out the key changes we've proposed since the original Core Strategy preferred options report, published in July 2005. This report outlines the preferred policy directions, and highlights alternatives where appropriate. The key changes consulted on relate to: transport, shopping, employment, and future development in Derriford area. In addition, it includes sections on environment and social issues. The consultation period ran from 13 April to 25 May 2006.

In order to inform this document we commissioned eight new background studies:

 Plymouth Employment Land Review

 Plymouth Shopping Study

 Plymouth Strategic High Quality Public Transport Network Report

 Plymouth's Eastern Corridor Public Transport Study

 Plymouth Airport Study

 Plymouth Flood Risk Assessment

 North Plymouth Sustainable Community Assessment

 Plymouth Economic Vision and Strategy

Issues and options

Habitat Regulations Assessment

Equality Impact Assessment