New development principles for Shropshire

A series of new planning principles aiming to bring a consistent approach to development across Shropshire is out for public consultation until Thursday 28 March 2013. 

Shropshire Council’s draft Development Management Policies are the first part of the response to 2012′s extensive consultation into the Site Allocations and Management of Development Plan, known as the SAMDev plan. 

The policies are open to everyone to view and make comments.  In particular, comments from community groups, stakeholders and the development industry would be welcomed. 

They set out the principles of development, such as how new buildings should be designed and how the natural and historic environments can be protected whilst still enabling development to take place. 

Together with the 20 policies already adopted in the Core Strategy, these additional 16 policies will, when adopted, replace and streamline the 117 policies which remain from the previous district and borough Local Plans around the county, and will be the framework for determining planning applications across Shropshire. 

Revised specific site and settlement strategies, looking at what happens in individual towns and villages across Shropshire, which were also part of the SAMDev consultation, will be consulted on later this year. 

Mal Price, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member responsible for planning, said:

“It’s important to have consistency across the county, and a lot of work has gone into producing these policies which will achieve just that.  People’s opinions made during the SAMDev consultation last year have already been taken into account, but we are eager to hear if anyone has any further thoughts now that the documents have been published. 

“The consultation period runs for eight weeks, and I would urge anyone with an interest in development to have a look and make their views known.” 

The consultation documents can be viewed on Shropshire Council’s website (shropshire.gov.uk/samdev) where comments on the draft policies can also be submitted electronically via the online questionnaire.

Shropshire Council is encouraging as many people as possible to submit their comments online to save time, paper and money.  Alternatively if you wish to make your comments via email please send them to planning.policy@shropshire.gov.uk (please put ‘SAMDev Draft Policy Consultation’ in the e-mail subject box).

Copies of the policies will also be available in libraries, Customer First Points and Shropshire Council offices.