• The Herefordshire Local Plan - Core Strategy was adopted in 2015. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) requires that local authorities should review their local plan every five years to determine if an update is required. Herefordshire Council resolved in November 2020 that an update of the Local Plan would be required.
• Regulation 18 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended) requires that public consultation takes place at key stages during the preparation of a Local Plan.
• The new Local Plan will help shape growth and development across the county over the period from 2021 to 2041. The Plan will seek to ensure that we deliver the required homes, jobs, infrastructure and services to support growth in a way that is appropriate for the rural and historic character of the County.
• Vision/Objectives & Spatial Options have been developed in conjunction with Local Plan Cabinet Members Group.
• The document includes proposed vision/objectives 5 spatial options demonstrating how new housing development could be distributed across the County and a range of options for the overall approach to new development in the rural areas.
• It is proposed to undertake the public consultation from 17 January until 28 February 2022. The Spatial Options paper will be available to download from the Herefordshire website and view via an online consultation platform. Printed copies will be made available on request. It is intended to send posters and flyers to every town and parish council to post on their noticeboards and local parish magazines. A presentation for parish councils will also take place during the consultation period. Email notifications will be sent to all consultees and individuals registered on the Local Plan consultation database.
• Information points, including Talk Community Hubs and Libraries will be used to spread information about the consultation.
• The spatial options consultation results will help form the preferred options for housing distribution across the county.
• This will be the first of a series of Local Plan consultations undertaken over the next few months as options for the Local Plan are developed.