Cannock Chase Local Plan

Cannock Chase Local Plan  - Preferred Options Consultation

Cannock Chase Council is seeking your views on important plans and documents that will shape the future of Cannock Chase District.

The consultation runs from Friday 19th March until Friday 30th April 2021 on the Cannock Chase Local Plan and accompanying Sustainability Appraisal.

Cannock Chase Local Plan – Preferred Options document

The Local Plan helps to shape the way in which the physical, economic, social and environmental characteristics of Cannock Chase District will change over a 15 year period following adoption in 2023. The Council is currently undertaking a review of its adopted Local Plan (Part 1) 2014 due to a number of national and local policy changes. The Local Plan Review Preferred Options document follows on from the Issues and Scope consultation in 2018 and the Issues and Options consultation in 2019.  This current Preferred Options consultation is the next step in the process and takes into account previous consultation comments received. It sets out an update on the key issues including housing and employment, and considers the Preferred Options for addressing them. 

Sustainability Appraisal Report and Habitat Regulations Assessment Report

It is a legal requirement that when the Local Plan is produced this is informed by a Sustainability Appraisal, so the District is consulting on this alongside the Local Plan (this also incorporates a Health Impact Assessment and Equalities Impact Assessment).

Given that there are a number of internationally designated ecological sites within the District, they also have to produce a report which assesses any potential impacts upon these sensitive sites arising from future development, known as a Habitat Regulations Assessment.

Local Plan evidence base

The Local Plan is supported by a range of updated evidence base documents, which are available for reference at http://www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/residents/planning/planning-policy/evidence-base-documents-websites. 

The District Council is not seeking comments on these supporting documents; however they provide useful additional detailed information to support the Local Plan. Since the last consultation they have published evidence on an updated Economic Development Needs Assessment (in response to COVID-19), a Heritage Impact Assessment (to identify how development could impact our heritage assets), Climate Change Baseline report and Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Final Report; Green Belt Part 2 Study (which looks at the assessment of potential harm of releasing smaller areas of land from the Green Belt than the Part 1 Study), Retail and Town Centre Uses Study 2021 (which looks at the health of our centres and their future potential) and the Development Capacity Study which looks to assess the potential supply of land for housing within existing settlements.

How to make comments

All consultation documents are available to view on Cannock Chase Council’s website at www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/planningpolicy

Views should be given using the comments form which is available to download via the web link above.  Paper forms can be posted out if you do not have internet access.

If you have any questions, you can contact the District Council in the following ways:

•           Email planningpolicy@cannockchasedc.gov.uk

•           Write to Planning Policy at the address on the bottom of this letter

•           If you do not have access to the internet or require additional help please telephone 01543 462621 and ask for Planning Policy. 

Staffordshire County Council has re-opened Cannock and Rugeley libraries for computer bookings only. if you do not have access to a computer at home but are able to use one you can contact them to sign up as library member and book a time slot to use a computer. 

See https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/Libraries/Coronavirus-update-for-libraries.aspx for details.  You will then be able to view the documents at www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/planningpolicy