17 May 2013, 4:48 pm
The West Northamptonshire joint Core Strategy sets out the long-term vision and objectives for the area covered by Daventry District, Northampton Borough and South Northamptonshire Councils for the period up to 2026, including strategic policies for steering and shaping development.
Following an examination hearing of the Core Strategy last month, the programme officer for the joint plan said in a note (1-page / 87KB PDF) that the inspector had asked the joint planning unit (JPU) representing the Councils to undertake "a fresh assessment of the objectively assessed needs for new housing in the area over the plan period and beyond".
The officer said that the inspector had also asked the Councils to prepare a report to address "acknowledged shortcomings" in the work done to date. As well as the housing needs issues, those shortcomings related particularly to the reasons for selecting sustainable urban extension sites around Northampton and other urban areas on a comparative basis, he said.
The officer said that the JPU would carry out the work "as soon as possible" and that it would assess the outcomes with an "open mind" before deciding whether to put forward any more modifications for the inspector to consider.
He said that a further six week public consultation would then be launched before another three day examination hearing will take place in October to consider the outcomes.
