How the Core Strategy Publication document has been produced

Issues and Options

Between 27 October and 7 December 2009, Woking Borough Council consulted with local people to find out the main issues facing the Borough and the options available to address them, from now until 2027. This was known as the Issues and Options consultation.

The Council produced an Issues and Options document with accompanying an questionnaire to find out your thoughts about a range of key topics. Market research agency, Halo, produced a report summarising the responses. In addition, Planning Policy Officers read and noted every comment made. A report summarising the comments made, along with the officer responses and recommendations was reported to Councillors in January 2010. The information from the report was used to inform the Draft Core Strategy.

The Community Strategy and LDF objectives presented in the document were assessed through the Sustainability Appraisal process. The findings of the Sustainability Appraisal are documented in the Initial SA Report which accompanies this document and was available for consultation for the same period.

Back to top

Draft Core Strategy

Although the Council had originally intended to consult people on the Draft Core Strategy over the summer, the unexpected withdrawal of a key planning document called the South East Plan by the new Coalition Government in June 2010 caused some delays, as Council staff and Members needed time to consider what the implications of this change could bring for Woking.

Consultation on the Draft Core Strategy, Sustainability Appraisal (SA) and revised Statement of Community Involvement, took place between 5 November 2010 and 7 January 2011. The nine-week long consultation exercise took place to consult local people about the future development of Woking Borough up to 2027.

Again, every comment made was noted and analysed by Officers. A report summarising the key issues raised along with the officer response and recommendations was reported to Councillors in June 2011. The information from the report was used to inform the Core Strategy Publication document.

Back to top

Core Strategy Publication Document

Consultation on the Core Strategy Publication document and accompanying Proposals Map and Sustainability Appraisal Report finished at 5pm on 23 September 2011, after running for nine weeks.

Representations made at this stage had to relate to one of the `tests of soundness'. The text below sets out these tests. To be `sound', the Core Strategy should be justified, effective and consistent with national policy. It must also satisfy the legal procedural requirements and be in conformity with regional planning policy. Meeting these requirements will be the Planning Inspector's main consideration when he examines the Core Startegy.

Tests of soundness:

(i) Justified

To be `justified' a development plan document needs to be founded on a robust and credible evidence base involving:

  • evidence of participation of the local community and others having a stake in the area

  • research/fact finding - the choices made in the plan are justified by the evidence. What is the source of the evidence? How up to date and convincing is it?

  • the most appropriate strategy when considered against reasonable alternatives. Have the reasonable alternatives been considered and is there a clear audit trail showing how and why the preferred strategy/approach was arrived at?

(ii) Effective

To be `effective' the development plan document needs to be:

  • deliverable

  • flexible

  • able to be monitored.

(iii) National policy

The development plan document should be consistent with national policy. Where there is a departure, local authorities must provide clear and convincing reasoning to justify their approach.