The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy supports new sport and recreation facilities that are accessible by walking, cycling, wheeling and public transport, provided they avoid unacceptable impacts on amenity, roads, wildlife, heritage and flooding. Housing developments of more than 10 units, or over 1,000 square metres of floorspace, must meet the sports and recreation standards in Appendix P, normally through on-site provision. Existing facilities can only be lost if they are shown to be surplus, replaced with equivalent or better provision, or the change delivers clear open space benefits. Long-term management arrangements must be agreed.
Homes & housing
How many new homes are planned, where they go, affordable housing requirements, housing mix, density and homes for older people.
101 sections of the plan, in document order.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy directs development to areas at the lowest risk of flooding from all sources, taking account of climate change. Inappropriate development in high or medium flood risk areas will not be supported, and the functional floodplain is safeguarded for storing flood water. Site-specific Flood Risk Assessments are required for development in at-risk areas and all sites over 1 hectare, and sites of 50 or more dwellings need a strategic drainage strategy. Building over existing culverts is not allowed, and all developments in Chesham and High Wycombe need a surface water drainage strategy.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section covers proposal STR.3, land west of Stratford-upon-Avon delivered between 2028/29 and 2036/37. Site A at West Shottery provides at least 687 homes, a community hall, local shops and an extension to the community park, with land safeguarded at its western edge for the proposed Stratford-upon-Avon Bypass. Site B, north of Evesham Road, adds up to 130 homes with about 3 hectares of open space. Around 23 hectares of public open space is provided in total, and development must protect the settings of Shottery Conservation Area and Anne Hathaway's Cottage.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets water efficiency standards for new development, reflecting that the South East is classed as under serious water stress. All new dwellings must achieve a standard of 85 litres per person per day, or any tighter future national requirement. Non-residential development must achieve full credits in the BREEAM water calculator, with at least three credits under the Wat01 measure. Refurbishments and changes of use must be retrofitted to the same standards. The approach aims to protect the chalk aquifer and the Chilterns' chalk streams from over-abstraction.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section opens the appendices and annexes at the end of the plan, beginning with the glossary. The glossary explains planning terms and acronyms used throughout the document, starting with entries such as accessibility, accessible neighbourhoods, active travel, affordable housing, Air Quality Management Areas, the Annual Monitoring Report and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Its purpose is to help readers understand technical language in the plan.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section provides the plan's glossary, defining the planning terms and acronyms used throughout the document, from accessibility and affordable housing to water neutrality. It explains concepts such as biodiversity net gain, brownfield land, the Community Infrastructure Levy, Green Belt and Grey Belt, flood zones, Section 106 contributions, sustainable drainage systems and the standard method for calculating housing need. It is a reference tool to help readers understand the technical language in the rest of the plan.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section lists every site allocated in the plan, organised by settlement. For each allocation it gives the local planning authority, settlement category, allocation type, related policy, site reference and name, the number of homes, hectares of employment land and any Gypsy and Traveller pitches. The list runs from Alcester through to Wellesbourne and beyond, covering both large strategic sites such as the new communities and small local sites of only a few homes.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section lists the monitoring indicators the councils will use to check whether each plan policy is working. For every policy, from the development strategy through infrastructure, economy, housing, climate and environment chapters, it names the measures to be tracked, such as homes completed, affordable housing delivered, floorspace built, flood risk permissions and biodiversity net gain units. Some policies have no specific indicators. The results feed into ongoing monitoring of the plan.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section introduces the housing policy guidance annex, which helps explain how the plan's housing policies should be applied. It covers how much affordable housing is required under policies HO.3 and HO.6, and warns that splitting a larger site into smaller parcels will not reduce the requirement, because adjacent or subdivided sites are treated as one. Councils may also refuse schemes that use unusually low density to avoid the affordable housing thresholds. It then introduces the Vacant Building Credit for reusing empty buildings.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section provides detailed guidance on delivering affordable housing. It explains the Vacant Building Credit, which reduces affordable housing requirements in proportion to the floorspace of vacant buildings being redeveloped, with a worked example. It covers viability negotiations, tenure and size mix, and requires affordable homes to be visually indistinguishable from market homes and dispersed in clusters of generally no more than 8 to 10 units. It also sets out Section 106 delivery arrangements, local connection rules, phasing triggers, off-site contributions, rural exception sites and the four tests for specialised housing.
The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the guidance for self-build and custom-build housing, where occupiers lead the design or construction of their own homes. The home must be the builder's main residence for at least three years to qualify for exemption from the Community Infrastructure Levy. Councils keep a register of interested people and must permit enough plots to match demand over a rolling three-year period. Plots for sale must be fully serviced, and schemes of 2 to 9 homes are supported. Plots unsold after 12 months of marketing, plus 6 months at a reduced price, may become general market housing.