Slough has joined only five percent of councils nationally by having its Core Strategy declared sound.
The Slough Core Strategy’s plan was submitted to the Secretary of State in November 2007 and a hearing was held in May this year.
The Inspector, who held the examination, concluded that, subject to some changes being made, Slough’s Core Strategy is ‘sound’. With only around five percent of LA’s managing to get their Core Strategies adopted, Slough is now ahead of the game in progressing its Local Development Framework.
A key feature of the Slough Core Strategy is that it was able to identify sufficient housing sites for the whole plan period without relying upon windfall sites or having to make further Green Belt releases. This supply was flexible enough to accommodate the Inspector’s recommendation that the allocation should be increased by 550 to make up for a shortfall in the previous plan period.
The overall Spatial Strategy can be summarised as being one of “concentrating development and spreading the benefits”. This seeks to build on the council’s £400m Heart of Slough regeneration project, which aims to revitalise and re-energise the Berkshire town’s centre.
Slough currently has the highest level of overcrowding in the South East, with the largest amount of people per household. One of the benefits of the strategy is that it will take the pressure for development away from the suburbs and give them the opportunity to build local communities.
In addition to this, the Core Strategy also seeks to encourage the selective regeneration of key areas in the borough and promotes the creation of a new hub within Slough Trading Estate. This is in accordance with the master plan being developed by estates owners, SEGRO.
This will greatly improve the amenities on the estate as well as providing a package of public transport improvements.
Paul Stimpson, head of planning policy and projects for Slough Borough Council, said: “We are very pleased that our core strategy has been declared sound.
“A lot of work went into making sure the strategy will deliver our new vision for Slough.”
The Inspector concluded she was satisfied ‘that the overall spatial strategy sets out a coherent framework for achieving the spatial vision for Slough and provides certainty for site selection to take place in lower level DPD’s.’
She continued to say that ‘it achieves a balance between facilitating Slough’s economic growth and consolidating its role as a regional hub with a strong emphasis on improving the environment, particularly through the regeneration of residential and older employment areas. It provides flexibility balanced with firm guidelines for protecting important features such as the Green Belt and the environmental quality of residential areas.
Overall, she concluded that the Core Strategy presents a clear, robust and locally distinctive spatial strategy.
Slough Borough Council
