Following involvement from the community and stakeholders during the past three years, the City Council is publishing its Core Strategy. This is a Development Plan which outlines the approach to planning for the new housing, shops, workplaces and community facilities to be built over the next twenty years. It also contains policies which will apply to new development proposals and address key issues such as climate change and affordable housing.

Representations on the Core Strategy ‘Publication Version’ may now be made before it is submitted to the Secretary of State for examination.

The role of the ‘Publication Version' document is to provide the opportunity for formal representations to be made.

All representations received will be considered by the inspector appointed by the Secretary of State to carry out the examination into the soundness of the Core Strategy.

In addition, the council will summarise the main issues raised by the representations and submit that summary to the Secretary of State. If the representations raise matters which would suggest changes should be made to the Core Strategy before the document is submitted, the council will consider the appropriate way to proceed.

Representations received will be considered by the inspector appointed by the Secretary of State to carry out the examination.

The council will also summarise the main issues raised by the representations and submit that summary to the Secretary of State.

Provided the representations do not raise matters which require the council to re-consider significant elements of the document, the Core Strategy will be submitted to the Secretary of State in Spring 2010. The examination is expected to take place in Summer 2010.

If found ‘sound’ by the Inspector the Core Strategy will be adopted by the council in late 2010.