Issues and Options Consultation
This page shows technical assessments which have been undertaken to inform the Issues and Options consultation.
Where possible the key findings have been summarised in relevant sections of the main Issues and Options consultation document. As such the documents on this page can be seen as forming a reference library, providing further detailed information on areas of particular interest. There is no expectation or requirement to read all the published evidence prior to making a consultation response.
Bus Accessibility Mapping
Climate Change Baseline Report
Climate Change: Estimation of emissions
Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA)
Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA)
Heritage Assessments
Housing & Economic Development Needs Assessment (HEDNA) - Covering Coventry and Warwickshire
Settlement Design Analysis
Sustainability Appraisal (SA)
Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) - Part 1
An assessment which looks at all known sources of flooding that could affect existing or future development in an area.
Stratford-on-Avon District SFRA
Warwick District SFRA
Urban Capacity Study
| Title | Scope |
| Housing, Employment and Town Centres | |
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Housing & Economic Development Needs Assessment (HEDNA) – Covering Coventry and Warwickshire |
To outline (independently) what the need for housing and economic growth requirements across South Warwickshire are, based on robust evidence. This takes into account a wealth of evidence such as population, household and economic growth projections in order to assess the need for housing and employment up to 2050. The HEDNA has taken account of the data from the census in 2021. |
| To provide an analysis of the potential urban capacity of South Warwickshire on previously developed land in the existing built-up areas. The capacity of the existing urban areas will give an indication of how much of the growth may be accommodated without the need to utilise greenfield land. | |
| Climate Change | |
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This work will be ongoing throughout the plan-making process. At this stage it undertakes a high-level assessment of the emerging 5 spatial strategy options, and the policy options in the Issues and Options. An erratum to this report has been published, dated 6th February 2023. |
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The Climate Change baseline report sets out the context and starting point for the two authorities in relation to climate change mitigation and adaptation and identifies opportunities to embed climate change considerations into the Local Plan. |
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| Environmental |
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| Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) |
An assessment to determine the potential effects of the Plan on protected habitats. |
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Sustainability Appraisal (SA) |
This is an assessment of the significant environmental, social and economic effects of the Local Plan. This work will be ongoing throughout the plan making process. At this stage, it does look specifically at the emerging options. The Scoping Report represents the first stage of the SA process. It sets the context and objectives, establishes the baseline and decides on the scope of the main SA report. |
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Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) – Part 1 Stratford-on-Avon District SFRA
Warwick District SFRA |
An assessment which looks at all known sources of flooding that could affect existing or future development in an area. |
| Transport | |
| Bus Accessibility Mapping |
To demonstrate the areas of South Warwickshire best served by bus routes to different types of destinations. Conversely to examine ‘gaps' in bus services. This is primarily aimed at examining the ‘Main Bus Route' growth option identified in the Scoping Consultation. |
| Equalities |
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| Equalities Impact Assessment (EQIA) |
An assessment to ensure that equal opportunities have been taken into account in all decision making. |
| Heritage |
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| Heritage Assessments |
Desktop review of existing heritage assets within settlements considered in the Settlement Design Analysis. To ensure that heritage opportunities and constraints are considered in developing spatial options and wider policy considerations. |
| Misc. |
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| Settlement Design Analysis |
An analysis that looks at the structure and design of existing settlements to help identify where growth might be best integrated. The study examines the street pattern of the settlement, any physical barriers to movement which exist, local infrastructure provision, and density ranges. |
Topic Papers
In addition to the Technical Evidence, a number of topic papers have been written. These outline the process of creating the Issues and Options document, and provide other contextual information.
| Title | Scope |
| Evolving the Spatial Growth Options - the story so far | This paper describes the process by which the spatial growth options evolved between the Scoping and Issues and Options consultations. |
| Spatial Growth Strategy workshop outcomes | A summary of the stakeholder workshops which were run to help inform the refined spatial growth options. |
| Guide to existing housing densities in South Warwickshire | A guide to provide context to discussions of housing density, by illustrating the densities seen in a range of neighbourhood types in South Warwickshire. |
Currently Underway
The following technical assessments are currently being undertaken.
| Title | Scope |
| Housing, Employment and Town Centres | |
| Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment | An assessment to determine the need for Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople accommodation across the South Warwickshire Area up to 2050. |
| Retail and Town Centre Uses Study |
An assessment that looks at the vitality and viability of town centres, their role within South Warwickshire, the existing supply and future needs, the capacity of the centres to accommodate these need and advice on future approaches. |
| Health |
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| Playing Pitch Strategy | To assess the need for playing pitches across South Warwickshire in quantitative and qualitative terms. |
| Environment | |
| Coventry, Solihull & Warwickshire Green Infrastructure | An update to the 2013 sub-regional green infrastructure strategy |
| Water Cycle Study | This assesses the constraints and demands future development will place on existing water services infrastructure including waste and supply. |
| Biodiversity baseline update | An update to baseline data using satellite imagery data and follow up on the ground assessments. Being updated across Warwickshire County being led by Warwickshire Wildlife Trust |
| Climate Change | |
| Climate Change evidence |
- Assessment to identify broad locations that would be suitable for renewable and decentralised energy sources. - Consideration of land typologies that could be protected and/or allocated to minimise carbon emissions. |
Future Work
The following technical assessments are likely to be required to help inform later stages of the plan. Once completed they will be available to view on this page:
| Title | Scope |
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Housing, Employment and Town Centres |
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Affordable Housing |
Viability study regarding different possible approaches to delivery of affordable housing, including possible locational assessments |
| HELAA (Housing and Economic land Availability Assessment | A high level assessment which considers the quantity and quality of sites that could be developed for housing, employment or other uses. |
| Greater Birmingham and Black Country Housing Market Area | Future Study on addressing the housing shortfall for the Greater Birmingham and Black Country Housing Market area |
| Locational Employment Study | Obtaining evidence to get an understanding on where employers across South Warwickshire want to be located, to understand future demands and expectations. |
| Infrastructure Delivery Plan |
This will set out the strategic infrastructure requirements in order to deliver growth planned for within the Plan. This will likely need to consider a range of infrastructure needs including health, education, utilities. |
| Site Delivery & Viability Studies | An assessment to ensure that sites critical to delivering the strategic priorities of the Plan are deliverable and viable. |
| Transport Assessment | This will set out the transport issues in relation to development and identify measures that can deal with the impacts of schemes in relation to all modes of travel. |
| Sports, Leisure and Built Facilities Strategy | An assessment of the current facilities within South Warwickshire and to identify the likely additional need to support the Plan's growth strategy |
| Tourism Accommodation Assessment | An assessment of the current visitor accommodation stock within South Warwickshire and to identify the likely accommodation demand and trends through to 2050. |
| Tourism Destination Management Plan | The current Plan runs to 2025 and there will be a need, working with Shakespeare's England as part of any reorganisation of tourism delivery at the regional strategic level to prepare an updated strategy to inform the Local Plan. |
| Climate Change | |
| MET Office Climate Analysis | Information specific to South Warwickshire on climate change probabilistic projections |
| Climate Change Evidence |
- An assessment on what 'net zero carbon' means and looks like for new developments in South Warwickshire - Consideration of how the Plan can address retrofitting existing buildings to minimise carbon emissions and enable buildings to adapt to climate changes - Climate change impact assessment of policies within the plan - Viability implications of both the preferred growth strategy and specific policies within the plan related to climate change mitigation and adaptation - Assessment into the extent to which the Local Plan can assist with carbon sequestration - Offsetting evidence to inform Local Plan policies |
| Environmental | |
| Air Quality Assessment |
An assessment to look at the air quality impacts of the proposals in the Plan on Air Quality Management Areas in South Warwickshire |
| Landscape Character Assessment | An assessment undertaken to help identify various landscape types with a distinct character that is based on a recognisable pattern of elements, including combinations of geology, landform, soils, vegetation, land use and human settlement. |
| Strategic Environmental Assessment / Sustainability Appraisal (SA/SEA) | Ongoing assessment of the significant environmental, social and economic effects of the Local Plan. |
| Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) Part 2 | An assessment which looks at all known sources of flooding that could affect existing or future development in an area. |
| Health | |
| Health Impact Assessment (HIA) |
This is a tool to identify and optimise the health and wellbeing impacts of the Plan |
| Equalities | |
| Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) | Ongoing assessment to ensure equal opportunities have been taken into account in all decision making. |
| Heritage | |
| Built Heritage and Archaeology site selection and impact assessments | An assessment of the heritage and archaeological impacts of any detailed growth strategy proposals and identify any possible mitigation opportunities. |
| Misc. | |
| Design Codes | Work to identify design parameters / codes which could be for the whole of South Warwickshire and/or strategic development sites or localities |
| Green Belt Study | A review which provides evidence of how areas perform against the Green Belt purposes set out in National Policy. This can be used alongside other evidence when looking at potential changes to the Green Belt. |
Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (HELAA)
A standard approach to the assessment of housing and employment sites is being applied across Coventry and Warwickshire and a public consultation in respect of this methodology concluded in December 2021.
This sub-regional HELAA methodology sets out a high-level framework for assessing potential locations/directions for growth, within which individual Local Planning Authorities can tailor specific criteria to respond to their local circumstances. The tailored South Warwickshire Local Plan HELAA was endorsed at the Joint Cabinet/Executive Committee on 10 March 2022.
The HELAA has not yet been produced for South Warwickshire. It is expected that this will happen prior to the Preferred Options consultation.
Scoping and Call for Sites
The following technical assessments were undertaken to inform the scoping and call for sites consultation:
| Title | Scope |
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Sustainability Appraisal – Preliminary assessment of Growth Options |
Assessment of the significant environmental, social and economic effects of the Local Plan. Additional Sustainability appraisals will be conducted as the plan progresses. |
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Climate Change Impact Assessment – Growth Options assessment |
Assessment to determine the impact of development on climate change. |
| This is a tool to identify and optimise the health and wellbeing impacts of the Plan. Additional Health Impact Assessments will be conducted as the plan progresses. | |
| Assessment to ensure equal opportunities have been taken into account in all decision making. Additional Equalities Impact Assessments will be conducted as the plan progresses. |
All documents associated with the Scoping and Call for sites consultation can be found below:
Further work will take place as the plan progresses to establish a strong evidence base that covers the whole of South Warwickshire. Read more about this within the Consultation Document.