Wiltshire consultation on Core Strategy

Wiltshire Council is currently seeking consultation responses on its emerging review of the Core Strategy, as it seeks to produce a replacement plan for the current Core Strategy, which is now more than 5 years old and expires in 2026. The new Plan will take Wiltshire forward to 2036.

Given the sheer size of the area to be covered by the new Local Plan, the Council continues with the previous Plan’s approach of splitting the County into a series of strategy areas. The new Plan is based on:

Chippenham

Salisbury

Swindon

Trowbridge

The new approach represents a significant change from its predecessor in the creation of a Swindon Strategy Area. This is sensible, given the significant influence Swindon exerts on rural land around it in Wiltshire and the fact that the town is now facing the challenge of development adjoining its administrative boundaries with Wiltshire.

The current consultation sees the adoption of a minimum and maximum housing target of 40,835 and 45,630 houses to be provided across the Plan period. This is in response to the use of the Government’s Standard Method Calculation, but also a Local Housing Needs Assessment, prepared by the Council to take into account longer term migration data and economic outcomes.

This is a key time for those wanting to promote development sites in the County. The consultation identifies a requirement to allocate circa 10,000 new homes, over and above those already committed. This Plan will also require the release of greenfield sites to come forward.

Drawing on our extensive experience of strategic promotion, if you are interested in discussing your land further please contact Nathan McLoughlin.

nathan.mcloughlin@mplanning.co.uk

The consultation closes on 9 March 2021.