Shepway Local Development Framework Core Strategy Consultation

Shepway District Council is writing a Local Development Framework (LDF) to guide the planning of the district for the next 20 years.

The most important part of the LDF is the Core Strategy - a long-term plan that includes major sites of change, regeneration and conservation, providing a vision and guiding key principles for future development within the district. This is now in its final draft, the 'Proposed Submission' stage.

Shepway are now gathering representations on the 'soundness' of the LDF Core Strategy document. Your responses will be passed to an independent Planning Inspector acting on behalf of the Secretary of State. Using the public representations, the Inspector will decide through an 'examination in public' in early 2012 whether the plan is sound and can come into force.

Responses made to the document must be in accordance with national rules, set out in Planning Policy Statement 12: Local Spatial Planning

In responding, do you think the Core Strategy is:

• Justified i.e. founded on robust evidence/ the most appropriate strategy against reasonable alternatives?
• Effective i.e. deliverable/ flexible/ able to be monitored?
• Consistent with national policy i.e. in line with government Planning Policy Statements?
• Procedurally and legally compliant i.e. produced correctly?

Individuals, groups and Councils can read more and make your comments and representations at http://consult.shepway.gov.uk/portal/core_strategy/cspropsubdocconsult before the closure date of 23rd September 2011.