Publication of Local Plan

Rotherham's Core Strategy is formally published next week (Monday, June 25) and the public will have six weeks to make their views known on whether they think it is sound and whether they believe it has been produced in accordance with the relevant government legislation and regulations.

The Core Strategy, which is the central document in Rotherham's Local Plan, will set the vision, objectives and strategic policies for Rotherham up to 2028. It establishes, in broad terms, where new development, including homes, jobs and retail, should be provided across the borough. This is the document that the authority intends to submit to Government and eventually adopt.

However, at this point the public are NOT being asked to comment on the sites required to deliver the strategy - that opportunity will come later in the year.

Instead the public are invited to view the strategy and the guidance notes and make any comments via the authority's website at www.rotherham.gov.uk/forwardplanning  Hard copies, guidance notes and response forms will also be available at each of the authority's customer service centres and libraries.

The public will have six weeks - until August 6 - in which to respond and all responses will then be sent to the Government and will be examined by a Planning Inspector.

This is the latest development in the preparation and adoption of the Local Plan, which was formerly known as the Local Development Framework. Preparing a plan is a statutory requirement but one that gives local people a say in how the Borough is developed.

Coun. Gerald Smith, Rotherham Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Development, urged people to make their views known. He said: "We know this a long and complicated process but under Government rules we have to ask the public if they believe the Core Strategy has been produced correctly and whether they believe it is actually sound. This means whether it is justified, effective and consistent with national policy and whether it has been prepared in a positive manner.

"At this moment we are asking the public to hold fire on their views on the actual sites being proposed.  Later this year we will consult again on the detail of what this means for local communities. We will be looking again at which specific sites should be developed. There will also be further opportunities to make comments at the public enquiry, which we anticipate will be held next Spring."