New Southwark Plan Proposed Submission Version: Amended Policies Jan 2019

Overview

The New Southwark Plan is a regeneration strategy for Southwark which will provide an overarching strategy for managing growth and development across the borough. The plan sets out how we will deliver further regeneration and wider improvements to our borough in the years to come.

The council has previously held several stages of consultation over the last five years on detailed draft versions containing proposed policies, area visions and site allocations which development proposals would have to comply with once the plans are adopted.

The New Southwark Plan Proposed Submission Version with Amended Policies has been prepared for consultation until 21 May 2019.  The document can be downloaded on the bottom of this page or our local plan page of our website. The New Southwark Plan Proposed Submission Version incorporating these amended policies will be the council’s final document for formal submission to the Secretary of State. There will then be an examination in public by a planning inspector. The inspector will prepare a report for the council and may require changes to be made to the plan for legal reasons. The final New Southwark Plan will then be adopted by the council. This is a decision taken by all councillors at the Council Assembly.

Unlike previous consultations, we are required to ask two specific questions which will give you an opportunity to comment on how the New Southwark Plan has been prepared, that its aims are achievable and that the plan is based on a robust evidence base. These questions are more commonly known as the ‘Test of Soundness.’ These are the same questions the independent Planning Inspector will be asking as part of the examination.

1. Is the Local Plan Legal?

A plan is considered legal when it complies with section 20(5) (a) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. You may wish to consider the following before making a representation on legal compliance:

• Whether the Local Plan has regard to national policy and guidance issued by the Secretary of State
• Whether the Local Plan has been prepared in-line with our Local Development Scheme (LDS)
• Whether community consultation has been carried out in accordance with our adopted Statement of Community Involvement 
• Whether an Integrated Impact Assessment assessing social, environmental and economic factors has been prepared and made public.
• Whether the requirements of the Duty to Co-operate have been met. The Localism Act, section 110, and the National Planning Policy Framework, paragraphs 178 to 181, creates a duty on all local planning authorities and other bodies to cooperate with each other to address strategic issues in the preparation of the Local Plan

2. Is the Local Plan ‘Sound’?

As part of the examination, the independent Planning Inspector is required to consider if the New Southwark Plan has been positively prepared, justified, and effective, and is consistent with national policy. You may wish to consider the following before making a representation on the Soundness of our plan:

• Positively Prepared: This means that we have objectively assessed the need for homes, jobs, services and infrastructure and these have been delivered sustainably. If you think that our assessments are not objective or do not take sufficient account of unmet needs in neighbouring authorities then your comments relate to whether our Local Plan has been positively prepared or not.
• Justified: This means that the Plan is based upon a robust and credible evidence base. If you think that the evidence doesn’t support the choice made in our Local Plan or there are realistic alternatives then your comments relate to whether it is justified.
• Effective: This means that the Plan is achievable. If you think that what we are proposing in the Local Plan will not happen as the required infrastructure cannot be provided, the groups who will deliver elements of it haven’t signed up to it or our Local Plan does not join up with the strategies of our neighbouring authorities, then your comments relate to whether our Local Plan is effective or not.
• Consistent with national policy: Do you consider that our Local Plan accords with the National Planning Policy Framework , the London Plan, other policies or includes clear and convincing reasons for doing something different? Alternatively, you may think that the Local Plan should depart from national policy due to an identified and justified local need.

Please note;

• You may comment on the New Southwark Plan: Proposed Submission Version Amended Policies January 2019 only via consultation hub. Any representations submitted by alternative means will not be accepted. 
• If you find difficulties using the hub and you are a resident then you may email us your response. our move to encourage everyone to use the hubs enables us to provide the information on the responses quickly as we do not need to copy emails into the hub.
• All comments will be made public and will be submitted to the Secretary of State along with the New Southwark Plan and other relevant supporting evidence following this consultation. 
• We will not consider confidential or anonymous responses. Your comments and name will be published but other personal information will remain confidential.
• Note: All consultations close at 23:59 on the specified end date.