The Core Strategy is the key document at the heart of the new Local Development Framework. This will set out a vision, key objectives and strategic planning policies for North Lincolnshire. It will also say what approach it will take to accommodating future development. It sets out what sort of place North Lincolnshire is today and what sort of place it will be in the future.
The Core Strategy is concerned with the overall pattern of development in North Lincolnshire. This means that it will determine which broad areas are suitable for things like housing, employment, and supporting infrastructure. It will not deal with detailed issues such as the location of specific sites. These will be dealt with in future documents.
The overall vision and objectives of the Core Strategy should reflect the Community Strategy and the strategies of other key partners in the planning process. It must also conform to the Regional Spatial Strategy for Yorkshire and the Humber as well as reflect National Planning Policy.
Most important of all, it should reflect the views of the local community. Therefore, it's vital that you contribute to the process of preparing the Core Strategy. The exact timescale for its preparation is set out in the Local Development Scheme.
As part of getting the local community involved in the process we have recently carried out a survey through the council's Direct magazine, and online to ask you about the future of your area.
Issues and options consultation
The issues and options stage is the first stage in the preparation of the Core Strategy. This part of the process gives North Lincolnshire people, and others, the first opportunity to influence the future development of the area. This early stage in the process is about gathering views on the key issues that face North Lincolnshire over the next 15 years and the possible options to help address them.
The issues and options consultation ended on 28 April 2006.
An additional a short consultation exercise, which ended on 25 August 2006, was also done. This was due to the response raised during the initial consultation period and due to additional work being carried out.
The results of the consultation are now available for you to view.
Preferred options consultation
The preferred options is the second stage in the preparation of the Core Strategy. It builds on earlier consultation work done by the council in the autumn of 2005 and at the issues and options stage between April and July 2006. Together it helped identify the big planning issues.
The preferred options document takes on board the earlier consultation exercises and sets out the council's preferred approach to the development and growth of the area over the next 15 years. The council is now asking for your opinions on the its preferred options. This in accordance with Regulation 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Development) (England) Regulations 2004.
The comments submitted will help us shape the final document that the council submits to Government in February 2008. The policies and proposals of the final document, which will cover the period up to 2021, will affect everyone that lives, works or visits North Lincolnshire - so get involved and have your say.
The consultation period ended on 11 December 2006. The comments can viewed online.
Sustainability appraisal
As part of the preparing the Core Strategy, the council needs to prepare a sustainability appraisal (SA) of the document to ensure compatibility with the principles of sustainable development. We are currently at the first stage of this process. This stage involves preparing a Core Strategy SA scoping report. This will help provide the context and objectives, as well as baseline information and the scope against which the Core Strategy will be assessed.
Appropriate Assessment
As part of the development of the Core Strategy, North Lincolnshire Council has been required to undertake an Appropriate Assessment of its policies and proposals and their implications for European Sites, which are nature conservation sites designated as Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs).
LDF links
Development Plans pages