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Implications of recent government announcements on the production of the Core Strategy The Coalition Government has made a commitment to abolish Regional Strategies and return decision making powers on the amount of housing development within local authority areas to local councils. These changes have significant implications for the Core Strategy, which will need to be carefully considered before the document can be progressed to the next stage. The Government has not issued detailed guidance on these changes as yet and it is therefore likely that the progression of the Core Strategy will be delayed until the implications of this announcement are fully understood. The Government has made it clear that ‘the LDF process should not be abandoned and the abolition of Regional Strategies is not a signal for local authorities to stop making plans for their area’. Local authorities are being encouraged to review their plans as quickly as possible. This is what Ashfield District Council is proposing to do.

By 2026 significant population and housing growth is envisaged. The population of Ashfield is expected to rise by approximately 14% and new homes will need to be provided. New jobs, shops and leisure facilities will also have to be provided.

The Council is reviewing its planning policies to keep up with these changes.

The Core Stategy is an important part of the Ashfield Development Framework and it will guide development and growth in the District.

The Core Strategy will :-

• provide a broad guide to development and growth in the District, setting out possible locations for major sites (over 500 houses)
• set out key issues faced by the District to 2026
• reflect the views and aspirations of the people who live and work in the District, Ashfield Partnerships Sustainable Community Strategy and the Council's own Corporate Plan
• co-ordinate policies, priorities and programmes together with the public resources to deliver them

The Core Strategy will not :-

• Set out specific sites for smaller developments (less than 500 houses)
• Set out detailed policies to control future development

These matters will be considered in later Ashfield Development Framework documents.

All local planning authorities are required to prepare these documents by Central Government and we are also influenced by regional and local strategies and guidance documents such as the East Midlands Regional Plan, which sets out growth targets that the district has to meet.