Plans to replace the current Regional Planning
Guidance (RPG10) with a Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS)
for the South West have been put on hold, pending the issue of new
legislation.
This was confirmed by the
Secretary of State letter to Council
Leaders on 27th May 2010. It will be up to Local
Planning authorities to determine locally the quantity of
housing in their area.
North Somerset Council is currently undertaking this work and
will need to consider the implications for the Core Strategy.
The RPG10 was
first published in September 2001 and set out the planning strategy
for the South West region up to 2016.
A
Draft
Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) was prepared by the
South West Regional Assembly (SWRA) in June 2006 for the period
2006-2026.
This was then subject to
an Examination
in Public in 2007 where various aspects of the Strategy were
discussed.
Following this a Panel Report was produced in December
2007 including various recommendations for change.
The Secretary of State published the Proposed Changes to the RSS
issued for consultation in July 2008. North Somerset Council
have made
representations to the Secretary of
State to reduce the number of dwellings allocated to North
Somerset. See also the
covering statement to the Proposed
Changes. Finalisation of the RSS was put on hold pending the
completion of additional Environmental Impact work being
undertaken.
The Government Office for the South
West (GOSW) website also has information about the
draft RSS.
For more information about planning policy
issues contact our
Planning
Policy team.
