This document sets out the emerging Spatial Planning framework for the long-term development of South Worcestershire.  It seeks to ensure that future investment is made in a properly co-ordinated manner to ensure the delivery of sustainable development and good quality design. It has been prepared taking into account the views of a wide section of the community and other interested parties, as well as maintaining consistency with national and emerging regional policy. The document provides a spatial expression of the Community Strategies for the three districts and Local Strategic Partnerships covering South Worcestershire. 

The three local authorities of Malvern Hills, Worcester City and Wychavon are working together to produce a Joint Core Strategy because many planning issues cross district boundaries.

This Joint Core Strategy will be a strategic document providing broad guidance on the scale, distribution and quality of development together with the provision of supporting infrastructure.  It contains:

The Preferred Option of the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy Phase Two Revision ¹ , which has been submitted to the Secretary of State, requires a maximum of 24,500 homes and 183 hectares of employment land to be provided in South Worcestershire between 2006 and 2026.  This Joint Core Strategy Preferred Option responds to these requirements and considers the implications of possible changes to regional guidance.

This Joint Core Strategy does not set out specific proposals or allocations.  Neither does it include detailed policies relating to Development Control matters.  These will be the subject of subsequent Local Development Documents which will need to be in conformity with the Joint Core Strategy.  Further, it does not duplicate, but builds on national and/or regional planning policy. 

This document has been published in the light of the responses we received to our ‘Issues and Options’ consultation carried out in November/December 2007.

Although we were pleased with the number of responses received (over 2200), it is important to emphasise that the production of Joint Core Strategy policies is not necessarily based on the most popular options.  Whilst the views we received rightly become a very important consideration, there are other issues that equally need to be taken into account.  For example alignment with national and regional policy, technical evidence, sustainability appraisal and the way in which the plan will be implemented.

We have also reviewed an enormous amount of other information, including statistical data, and other plans and strategies.  However, it is not the purpose of this document to record in detail how this has been achieved.  All the published material can be viewed at the website dedicated to the Joint Core Strategy www.swjcs.org and is available in hard copies at all Customer Service Centres in South Worcestershire.

We have analysed all the responses and published a Consultation Statement that you are invited to read via www.swjcs.org and at Customer Service Centres. We have progressed this through an on going debate with Councillors, Parish/Town Councils and other interested parties, and are now publishing what we consider to be the Preferred Options. This Preferred Options document represents an opportunity for you to comment.  Accompanying this document is a Sustainability Appraisal report upon which we would also welcome your views.

This document is not a draft plan but includes introductory text on the background and context to each proposed policy, an outline of the consultation responses received so far and the preferred approach along with alternative options that have been considered.

The new planning system is complicated and we have tried to minimise the use of jargon.  However, we have also included a glossary in Appendix 5 to assist in the reading of this document.  All words which are defined in the glossary are underlined in the text.

The overall timetable for the South Worcestershire Joint Core Strategy along with other related Development Plan Documents can be found in the Local Development Schemes for the respective Districts (available at Customer Service Centres and on the website at www.swjcs.org) but the key stages are set out below:

Throughout this document you will find Preferred Option policies that will be central to our Joint Core Strategy. These are the most important sections and upon which we want your views to continue the on-going debate that started with our Issues and Options consultation. To be part of this debate please:

The period of consultation will start on Friday 19^th September 2008 and finish on Friday 31^st October 2008.  We will then analyse your comments and additional evidence that we are continuing to gather with the aim of having a final document ready for submission to the Secretary of State in 2009.  

The document raises many key issues, some of which are complex.  Whilst this document tries to keep matters as simple as possible there may still be issues that need clarification.  If that is the case please contact us: