Local Plan & Area Action Plans

The Local Plan - Preferred Options Consultation took place from Friday 19^th March until Friday 30^th April 2021 when we consulted on the following documents:

Cannock Chase Local Plan – Preferred Options document

The Local Plan helps to shape the way in which the physical, economic, social and environmental characteristics of Cannock Chase District will change over a 15 year period following adoption in 2023. The Council is currently undertaking a review of its adopted Local Plan (Part 1) 2014 due to a number of national and local policy changes. The Local Plan Review Preferred Options document follows on from the Issues and Scope consultation in 2018 and the Issues and Options consultation in 2019.  This current Preferred Options consultation is the next step in the process and takes into account previous consultation comments received. It sets out an update on the key issues including housing and employment, and considers the Preferred Options for addressing them. 

• Local Plan - Preferred Options Consultation Document
   
• Local Plan - Preferred Options Consultation Document Summary
   
• Local Plan - Preferred Options Policies Map
   
• Local Plan - Preferred Options Consultation Letter

Note regarding clarification to the wording of Policy S03.1 in the above Local Plan - Preferred Options Consultation Document.

The Local Plan (Preferred Options) consultation responses were reported to the 16th December 2021 Cabinet.

Sustainability Appraisal Report and Habitat Regulations Assessment Report

It is a legal requirement that when we produce the Local Plan this is informed by a Sustainability Appraisal, so we are consulting on this alongside the Local Plan (this also incorporates a Health Impact Assessment and Equalities Impact Assessment). Given that there are a number of internationally designated ecological sites within the District, we also have to produce a report which assesses any potential impacts upon these sensitive sites arising from future development, known as a Habitat Regulations Assessment.  Read the assessment reports accompanying the Local Plan here:

• Cannock Chase Local Plan Preferred  Options Sustainability Appraisal & Health Impact Assessment (March 2021)
   
• Cannock Chase Local Plan Preferred Options Equalities Impact Assessment (March 2021)
   
• Cannock Chase Local Plan Preferred Options Habitat Regulations Assessment Report (March 2021)

Local Plan evidence base

The Local Plan is supported by a range of updated evidence base documents that provide useful additional detailed information to support the Local Plan. Since the last consultation we have published evidence on:

1. Cannock Chase Economic Development Needs Assessment Update (CCDC, December 2020) (in response to COVID-19)
2. Cannock Chase Retail and Town Centre Uses Study (CCDC January 2021) (which looks at the health of our centres and their future potential) - available on evidence base page
3. Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Baseline Report (SCC October, 2020)
4. Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Final Report (SCC, October 2020)
5. Cannock Chase Heritage Impact Assessment (CCDC, September 2020) (to identify how development could impact our heritage assets)
6. Cannock Chase Development Capacity Study (which looks to assess the potential supply of land for housing within our existing settlements)
7. Cannock Chase Employment Land Availability Assessment 2020
8. Cannock Chase Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment 2020
9. Green Belt Part 2 Study Report (March 2021)  (Assessment of potential harm of releasing smaller areas of land from the Green Belt than the Part 1 Study) - available on evidence base page

    

The Issues and Options consultation took place from Monday 13th May until Monday 8th July 2019, when we consulted on the following documents:

Cannock Chase Local Plan Issues and Options document

The Local Plan helps to shape the way in which the physical, economic, social and environmental characteristics of Cannock Chase District will change over a 15 year period. The Council is currently undertaking a review of its adopted Local Plan (Part 1) due to a number of recent national and local policy changes. The Local Plan Review Issues and Options document follows on from the ‘Issues and Scope’ consultation in summer 2018, which considered the key issues that needed to be addressed on matters such as the environment, housing, employment and town centres. This current Issues and Options consultation is the next step in the process and takes into account previous consultation comments received. It sets out an update on the key issues and now looks at what options there are for addressing them e.g. how much housing or employment land should be provided in the District and where that should be located in the District. This still represents an early stage in the process where we are looking at the more strategic issues and we have to consider all options available; no decisions on individual sites suggested for development have been made.

Sustainability Appraisal Report and Habitat Regulations Assessment Scoping Report

It is a legal requirement that when we produce the Local Plan this is informed by a Sustainability Appraisal, so we are consulting on this alongside the Local Plan (this also incorporates a Health Impact Assessment and Equalities Impact Assessment). Given that there are a number of internationally designated ecological sites within the District, we also have to produce a report which assesses any potential impacts upon these sensitive sites arising from future development, known as a Habitat Regulations Assessment. We have produced the first stage of this assessment (a Scoping Report).

Infrastructure Delivery Plan

This is a document which sets out what infrastructure may be required to support development in the District over the next 15 years, such as schools, public transport and leisure facilities. It has been partially updated to reflect changes since the last version (2014) and will need to be updated further as the Local Plan Review progresses.

Local Plan updated evidence base

The Local Plan will be supported by a range of updated evidence base documents. The Council has published its updated Economic Development Needs Assessment (an assessment of what employment land may be required in the District to support economic growth); an updated Housing Needs Assessment (as assessment of the District’s affordable housing needs and the needs of specific groups within the District e.g. housing for the elderly, adapted housing, private rented housing); and an updated Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Accommodation Assessment (an assessment of the amount of new accommodation required to meet these specific needs).

There is also a non-technical Local Plan summary and a Supporting Documents and Evidence Base Documents summary.

The Issues and Scoping consultation on the review of the Local Plan took place from 02.07.18 - 28.08.18 and a summary of the consultation can be read in the 8th November 2018 Cabinet report.

For more information please read the documents and their summaries below:

1. Cannock Chase Local Plan Issues and Scope document and summary
    
2. Sustainability Appraisal Scoping report and summary
    
3. Consultation Responses Summary

Further Information Submitted Alongside Representations:

The information below was submitted by respondents to supplement their representations, but could not easily be summarised in the above summary tables.  It has been published here for clarity and transparency:

1. Church Commissioners for England (Barton Willmore) - Wimblebury Road
2. Greenlight Development (Lichfields) - Wellington Drive
3. Inglewood Investments (SLR Consulting) - Springs Farm
4. KGL Estates (J Heminsley) - Land at Heath Hayes
5. Rentplus UK (Tetlow King)
6. Richborough Estates (Pegasus Group) - Brownhills Road
7. Richborough Estates (Pegasus Group) - Cannock Road
8. Taylor Wimpey - Wimblebury Road
9. West Midlands HARP (Tetlow King)
10. Mr Tony Wright (Pegasus Group) - Upper Birches Farm

The Cannock Chase Local Plan - Local Plan (Part 1) 2014 is the statutory development plan for Cannock Chase Council and forms the principal basis for which development is promoted and controlled.  The plan was adopted on Wednesday 11th June 2014.

It includes the Core Strategy (section 1), which contains the strategic context and core policies, and the Rugeley Town Centre Area Action Plan (section 2).

Please read the Affordable Housing policy update and refer to the Strategic Housing webpage in relation to Policy CP7 of the Local Plan (Part 1) 2014.

The Local Plan (Part 1) and supporting documents are available to download below:

The Economic Development Department has produced a Cannock Town Centre Prospectus and other supporting work to attract investment in the town centre.

The principal purpose of the Cannock Town Centre Prospectus will be to provide a planning and economic framework to guide the changes required to strengthen its future performance and offer as befits a sub-regional centre. 

It will:-
• Provide a framework for the attraction of new investment into the town centre.
• To identify opportunity areas and potential development scenarios.
• Seek to improve the visual and environmental quality of the town centre whilst protecting those buildings and features which already contribute positively its character and
appearance.

Staffordshire County Council are responsible for the production of the minerals and waste local plans for the county. These documents form part of the development plan for Cannock Chase District.