THE key document that will inform where housing developments can be built over the next two decades is on schedule.

That is according to a Cotswold District Council (CDC) spokesman who said work on the Local Plan (also known as Reg 19) was “progressing well” and would be ready to go before the authority’s cabinet on April 21 and then full council on May 19.

The Local Plan will be the district's planning handbook, guiding decisions by setting out housing policy and earmarking land where development is preferred.

There will then be a six week consultation – the last in a long line of consultations - on the document where any member of the public can have their say on the future of the district.

Comments should probe whether the plan succeeds in four areas:

  • Positively prepared - the plan should be based on a strategy which seeks to meet objectively assessed development and infrastructure requirements.
  • Justified - It should be most appropriate strategy when considered against the reasonable alternatives.
  • Effective - It should be deliverable over its period and based on effective joint working on cross-boundary strategic priorities.
  • Consistent with national policy - It should enable the delivery of sustainable development in accordance with the policies in the framework.

All comments will be taken into account by CDC when they hand the plan over to the inspector in charge of approving it, particularly comments gathered during the two Reg 18 consultations which took place during January/February 2015 and November/December 2015.

The information will also be included in a special edition of the council’s Cotswold News magazine which will be sent to all residents to tie in with the Reg 19 consultation.

Cllr Nick Parsons, cabinet member in charge of the Local Plan, said: “The Reg 19 Plan has to be based on evidence and facts rather than anecdote and subjective opinions. The fact that a large number of people may object to a proposal is not in itself a valid reason to bring about change.

“Some people have criticised the council because the Local Plan has not been approved yet. However, it is worth pointing out that, when approved, we will have a whole Local Plan for Cotswold District which is fully compliant with the National Planning Policy Framework.

"In other words, it will include a development strategy, site allocations to deliver the strategy, and a full suite of policies to deliver the Plan’s objectives.

He continued: "There are very few approved plans which fall into this category. The vast majority of so-called ‘approved’ Local Plans are merely Core Strategies which still require extensive work to develop site allocations and/or development management policies.”

The Local Plan will be submitted to the Secretary of State towards the end of 2016.

All the representations from the two Reg 18 public consultations during 2015 can be found at http://bit.ly/1VutMkR and http://bit.ly/1T2peuE.