Core Strategy (2011 - 2031) Submission Draft 

Update: 10th May 2012

In 2009, Babergh District Council started formal work on the first part of a new planning policy framework to replace the existing (2006) Local Plan. Key to this new framework will be the ‘Core Strategy’. This document, which will set out the Council’s broad vision for future sustainable growth across the district has been shaped through public consultation to plan for the type and scale of growth that Babergh residents want to see delivered over the next twenty years, and beyond.

The last main public consultation stage on this document closed on Friday 2nd December 2011. Thank you to everyone who took the time to submit their views and comments. In the intervening months we have been assessing all your representations. Other important considerations have also been taken into account, particularly the issue of the final National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) document in March 2012.

In response to the above considerations, a number of 'focused' changes to the Core Strategy are being proposed. These were considered and agreed by Members in principle at the Council's Strategy Committee meeting on 10th May 2012. However, further attention will need to be given to the Core Strategy's conformity with the new NPPF. In consequence, further revisions will need to be assessed and the intention is to report such revisions to Strategy Committee at its next meeting on 14th June 2012, then Full Council. If agreed, there will be an opportunty to comment - on these limited changes only - during a further public consultation round, which we currently anticipate will run between July and August. At this important stage we will once again be asking you to let us know if you consider these proposed changes to the document to reflect the Duty to Cooperate to be ‘sound’ and ‘legally compliant’.

(Note: Copies of the relevant committee papers can be accessed via our Council and Democracy web page.)

Please note that any representation or objection that remains unmet or unresolved by the proposed changes referred to above can and should be taken as being 'within the system' as such. They will not therefore need to be repeated and they will be passed on to the appointed Planning Inspector as part of the external examination process.

We will continue to update this web page as and when we have more news to report. We will also continue to use this web page to publish the Core Strategy Submission Draft document and all other relevant supporting material via the links below:

• Core Strategy (2011 - 2031) Submission Draft (PDF, 725KB) - as published on 10th October 2011
  
• Map 1 - Babergh's Environmental Characteristics (PDF, 117KB)
• Map 2 - Distribution of Employment Sectors (PDF, 73KB)
• Map 3 - Demographic and Social Characteristics (PDF, 103KB)
• Map 4 - Accessing Key Services (PDF, 4.6Mb)
• Map 5 - Functional Clusters in Babergh (PDF, 197KB)
• Core Strategy Key Diagram (PDF, 102KB)

(Please note: Map 4 may take a while to download. You may wish to save it to your PC in the first instance. Once opened, use the ‘zoom’ tool to view the map in more detail.) 

• Summary Leaflet (PDF, 1.32Mb)
  
  
• Guidance Note (PDF, 36KB)
• Consultation Response Form (Word, 94KB)
  
  
• Sustainability Appraisal (PDF, 1.4Mb)
• Sustainability Appraisal - Appendices Part 1 (PDF, 0.94Mb)
• Sustainability Appraisal - Appendices Part 2 (PDF, 2Mb)
• Sustainability Appraisal - Appendices Part 3 (PDF, 1Mb)
  
  
• Focussed Changes SA Review - May 2010 (PDF, 278KB) - Published May 2012
  
  
• Habitats Regulations Assessment Scoping Report (PDF, 3Mb)
  
  
• Consultation Statement (Update: April 2012) (PDF, 1.1Mb) - Published May 2012
  
  
• Statement of Representations Procedure and Availability of Documents for Inspection (Formal Notice) (PDF, 28KB)

We are also preparing a set of Technical Background Documents in support of the Core Strategy. To be published as/when they are available, they can be accessed via the following links:

• Technical Background Document 1: (Conformity) (PDF, 53KB)
• Technical Background Document 2: (Spatial Strategy) (PDF, 91KB)
• Technical Background Document 3: (Local Economy & Employment) Version 1.1 (PDF, 60KB)
• Technical Background Document 3: (Local Economy & Employment) Version 2.1 (PDF, 230KB)
• Technical Background Document 4: (Housing & Affordable Housing) (PDF, 153KB) 
• Technical Background Document 5: (Environment and Climate Change) Version 1.1 (PDF, 38KB)
• Technical Background Document 5: (Environment and Climate Change) Version 2.1 (PDF, 394KB)
• Technical Background Document 6: (Flood Risk) (PDF, 57KB)
  

• Core Strategy Workshop Summary (PDF, 117Kb)

Copies of last years Core Strategy Submission Draft document and supporting material may also still be viewable on request at the following 
locations during normal opening hours (please see the 'Formal Notice' document for individual opening times):

• Babergh District Council, Corks Lane, Hadleigh, or  
• at the following libraries: Capel St Mary, Glemsford, Hadleigh, Lavenham, Long Melford and Sudbury, or via the Mobile Library Service

You can also view the document and the representations made via our on-line consultation system.

Only written responses were accepted and (with the exception of personal contact details) could not be treated as confidential. Please also note that (a) we were and are still unable to enter into any form of personal correspondence over individual representaitons (beyond having already acknowledged receipt of your response(s) and, (b) that we are unable to answer any detailed questions about the documents contents, other than questions relating to generic procedures etc.