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What is the core strategy?

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REGIONAL/SUB REGIONAL POLICY LOCAL POLICY LDF PROCESS LOCAL DEVELOPMENT SCHEME STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT CORE STRATEGY CORE STRATEGY CHECKLIST WHAT IS THE CORE STRATEGY? LINKING THE CORE STRATEGY SITE SPECIFIC ALLOCATIONS AREA ACTION PLANS PROPOSALS AND INSET MAPS SUPPLEMENTARY PLANNING DOCUMENTS GENERIC DEVELOPMENT CONTROL POLICIES SUSTAINABILITY APPRAISAL TESTS OF SOUNDNESS THE EVIDENCE BASE ANNUAL MONITORING REPORT

PPS12: Local Development Frameworks
ODPM: Creating Local Development Frameworks: A Companion Guide to PPS12 (2004)
The LDF Process

The Core Strategy sets out a spatial vision, strategic policies and framework for sustainable development at local level. The Core Strategy needs to be in conformity with the Regional Spatial Strategy, and all other development plan documents prepared by the LPA need to be in conformity with it. The Core Strategy is the centrepiece of the spatial planning approach of the Local Authority and provides the reference point for the preparation of more detailed elements of the LDF. The Companion Guide to PPS12 (p.20) suggests that core strategies should:

“contain a clear spatial vision from which spatial objectives, strategic policies, monitoring and implementation frameworks flow;
be guided by sustainable development principles (using sustainability appraisal);
be linked to the sustainable communities agenda, helping determine the broad location of new housing and employment land necessary to meet the requirements of the regional spatial strategy or any sub-regional strategy contained within it;
be in general conformity with regional spatial strategies;
avoid repeating national planning policies in the relevant regional spatial strategy. Instead, the core strategy should articulate these policy objectives in the local context.

Specific land allocations should not be set out in the core strategy. Instead, the core strategy should set out the broad locations for land use, which can then be outlined in detail in site-specific allocations in other development plan documents. It can also use criteria to identify locations and priorities for preparing area action plans”.

For any development plan document, the following linked steps should be carried out:

Preparation of issues and alternative options and the initial sustainability appraisal report. These should be developed having regard to consistency with national policy, general conformity with regional planning policy, deliverability and local acceptability.
Local communities and stakeholders must be consulted on the development of these issues and options as required by Regulation 25. Consultation means a continuous process of informal discussion with people during this phase as opposed to formal discrete public participation required by Regulation 26.
Preparation of the preferred options document and formal sustainability appraisal report. authorities will need to prepare a document setting out their suggested policy directions together with relevant issues, proposals and alternative approaches where appropriate. It will need to be accompanied by a formal sustainability appraisal report which considers the likely significant effects of the preferred options and other options considered.
Public participation on the preferred options document and accompanying formal sustainability appraisal report. As required by Regulation 26, this must be undertaken in line with the statement of community involvement or minimum requirements set out in the Regulations if the former is not in place. It is important that local communities and stakeholders are given a formal opportunity to comment at this key milestone stage on the various options and alternatives proposed.
Assessment of representations to the preferred options document and the formal sustainability appraisal report as required by Regulation 27.
Preparation of the submission development plan document and any amendments to the sustainability appraisal report. Authorities must clearly demonstrate the rationale for the policies proposed, building upon the preferred options document. It should be written with the expectation that it will be thoroughly tested for its soundness at independent examination. The submission development plan document should include proposals for monitoring and reviewing the document.
Submission of the development plan document and a sustainability appraisal report to the Secretary of State for independent examination as required by Regulation 28.

Preparation of the LDF needs to be informed, amongst other policy documents, by the Community Strategy. The relationship between the two is not always straightforward and consequently some effort is required to establish a co-ordinated response which goes beyond stating a common vision. The following table sets out some themes likely to be common to both, and which could be developed within the Core Strategy or signposted for more comprehensive treatment elsewhere, such as a Supplementary Planning Document.

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