Explaining the Process

Warwick District Council, in partnership with Warwickshire County Council, Warwick Town Council, Warwick Chamber of Trade and The Warwick Society, are producing a Town Centre Plan (or Area Action Plan) for Warwick town centre. When it is completed it will form part of Warwick District Council’s Local Development Framework which will guide the determination of planning applications for new development and inform other strategies for the town centre, such as town centre management, inward investment, management of public sector assets, promotion and marketing.

The Plan will be subject to various stages of public consultation before being considered by an Independent Government Inspector. When completed it will provide a detailed framework for the town centre which amongst other things will:

• Encourage regeneration and re-use of land and buildings;
• Protect areas particularly sensitive to change;
• Bring key agencies and landowners together to resolve conflicting objectives and
• Gain a consensus as to the right strategy for the town centre.

Why are we doing it?

All partners recognise that this is an area potentially subject to much pressure and change over the coming years and a very sensitive historic environment. The town centre contains a large number of buildings and land within public ownership which is being reviewed as part of an ongoing process of rationalisation of the public estate. In addition, there are vacant buildings in private ownership which are in need of
re-use, intensification of use or redevelopment.

There is a clear benefit in considering these opportunities in a holistic manner taking into account the future needs and development pressures for more shops, businesses, leisure and tourism uses and housing in the District. At the same time, it is important these opportunities are taken forward in ways which help to contribute towards dealing with current and future problems, such as transport, access and climate change. Conservation is also of particular significance given that the historic environment is one of the key strengths of the town and this will need to be preserved and where possible enhanced by any future opportunities.

It is important therefore that we put in place a framework for the future of the town centre which addresses these issues and opportunities, and the partnership has therefore decided to prepare a Plan for Warwick town centre.

How will we be preparing it?

The process for preparing the Plan is governed to a large extent by national planning policy. It includes a number of stages and opportunities for public involvement before a final plan is adopted by the District Council as follows:

• ‘Issues’, this is the first stage of the process and its purpose is to gain consensus on the key issues, needs and constraints facing the town centre. It is also important at this stage to consider a draft vision for the area;

• ‘Options and Preferrred Option’ (Spring 2012), the next stage in the process is to consult the public on the realistic options and a preferred option to address the key issues identified from the previous stage and decide on what the preferred option is for the consultation.

• ‘Publication’ (Late 2012), this stage is where the Council publishes a draft of the Plan for public consultation, taking into account the responses to the options. The draft must be informed by evidence gathered by the Council or other partners;

• ‘ Submission’ (Early 2013), the Council are then required to submit the draft Plan and all comments received on it to the Government;

• ‘Examination’ (Spring 2014), an Inspector appointed by the Government will test the draft Plan, the evidence and all comments made against a number of criteria, before writing a report setting out their conclusions;

• ‘Adoption’ (Summer 2014), the Council will adopt the Plan in accordance with the Inspector’s report.

The timetable for the Plan is governed by the District Council’s progress on its Local Plan, however, it is important to note that specific initiatives or schemes could come forward earlier than the adoption of the Plan in 2014, subject to their consistency with the overall vision and direction for the town centre.

The Plan will be informed by input from the various public consultation stages, as well as various evidence drawn from studies and strategies produced by the Council and other partner organisations during the process, including the ‘Warwick Town Centre Health Check’ in the Warwick District Retail and Leisure Study 2009 which is available to view on the Background Information page. It will also be guided by national planning policy statements and best practice and the District Council’s emerging new Local Plan. The Plan will also be subject to a sustainability appraisal to ensure that it helps deliver sustainable development.