• 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.

• During 2022 a series of public consultation exercises were undertaken upon:
o a range of potential options for the overall spatial strategy;
o key land use policy areas; and
o specific place based options for Hereford, each of the market towns and for rural areas.

• The consultation responses, together with a range of evidence based studies have been used to develop a Draft Part 1 Local Plan. The Draft Plan as assembled effectively provides a preferred option at this stage of the plan making process but does not yet form Council policy.

• The Draft Local Plan sets out:
o A vision and set of objectives
o The Spatial Strategy
o A set of Strategic Policies
o Place based policies for Hereford, each of the market towns and the rural areas.

• Some of figures that are included in the place shaping policies in relation to density, affordable housing and infrastructure requirements are provisional. These may be updated when the relevant new evidence is available. The detailed text to ensure consistency in wording and terminology and prepare a glossary to add to the plan.
• A separate Part 2 Local Plan, setting out a suite of Herefordshire specific Development Management Policies will be prepared separately once the scope and content of any national development management policy is known.
• It is proposed to undertake the public consultation from 19 June to 08 September. During this time the Draft Plan and associated documents will be available to download from the Herefordshire website and view via an online consultation platform. Printed copies will be made available in libraries and information offices and on request. It is intended to send posters to every town and parish council to post on their noticeboards and local parish magazines.
• Presentation for parish councils will 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. In addition, a series of events will be held across the County to advertise the consultation and answer questions posed by local people.