A vision for how South Worcestershire will look in 2030

A vision of the future has been unveiled with the publication of the draft proposals for the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP), ahead of going out to full public consultation in July.

The plan is being jointly prepared by Malvern Hills District Council, Worcester City Council and Wychavon District Council to guide economic, residential and environmental change in the area until 2030.

The draft Preferred Options stage of the SWDP has been published as part of the agenda papers to be considered by Council.The full document, along with supporting maps showing employment and housing allocations in the city, towns and villages is listed and available to view under item 5 of the Council Agenda Pack accessed here SWDP Preferred Options.

It will be considered by the councils on 5 July 2011. The SWDP includes proposed policies for dealing with four broad areas:

• Creating jobs and economic prosperity
• Meeting housing needs
• Transportation
• The environment

Philip Grove, Leader of Malvern Hills District Council, said: “Importantly this joint plan sets out to developers where opportunities for development may exist, providing relevant infrastructure needs are met and where development will not be considered. It is our vision for South Worcestershire and will, in the long term ensure any future development adds to the economic prosperity of the area and protects our natural heritage”.

Simon Geraghty, Leader of Worcester City Council, said: "This plan has the economic prosperity of South Worcestershire at its heart. It’s vital that we support businesses to flourish and provide the right sites for new employment opportunities. It will also enable us to focus on attracting the investment needed in the infrastructure."

Paul Middlebrough, Leader of Wychavon District Council, said: “In preparing these proposals our priority has always been to balance the protection Wychavon’s vibrant market towns and sustainable villages with the need for stimulation and protection of our economy. We’re confident the plans will deliver both of these aims.”

The proposals build on the work done between 2007 and 2010 on the South Worcestershire Joint Core Strategy. The three councils decided to adopt a different approach when the new Government announced its proposed changes to the planning system.

Much of the research behind the Joint Core Strategy has been used in preparing the draft SWDP Preferred Options, but our approach to providing housing has changed and many of the proposed housing sites are now either smaller than previously proposed or have been removed from the proposals.

The new proposals differ from the Joint Core Strategy in several significant ways:

• The focus is on supporting and delivering economic growth and jobs
• Housing numbers are now driven by assessments of local needs, not top down regional targets
• Approximately 20,000 new homes are proposed – around 20% less than in the Joint Core Strategy
• 40% of the homes required by 2030 have already either been built, given planning permission or had sites allocated to them. That means that, in the 19 years remaining till 2030, locations only need to be found for another 12,000
• Worcester City has been able to identify land for half of the city’s housing growth within its administrative area, reducing the need for expansion beyond the city boundaries
• Although extensions adjacent to Worcester are proposed, what used to be the largest site – to the west of the city – will include around 2,500 fewer dwellings than were proposed in the Joint Core Strategy
• In Malvern Hills and Wychavon, it is proposed to have a smaller proportion of new homes built at the main towns. There will also be new housing built in rural villages, with the aim of supporting the needs of the local population.

Click here to read a fact sheet including more detailed information: SWDP fact sheet .

After the eight-week consultation in the autumn, residents will have another chance to comment at an Examination in Public, which will take place before the SWDP is formally adopted in May 2013.