The Type and Affordability of Housing SPD is being reviewed and modified and is now published as a consultation document. The review seeks to reflect clarifications sought by the Planning Inspector through the SAMDev examination in light of recent legislative changes and changes to national planning policy guidance. It also seeks to reflect key themes emerging in currently developing future legislation including the Right to Custom and Self Build and the Housing and Planning Act. It also seeks to review local changes in housing needs in Shropshire and reflect new initiatives such as the Shrewsbury University Campus.

The SPD expands upon the requirements of the Shropshire Core Strategy, including policies:

• CS1 Strategic Approach
• CS4 Community Hubs and Community Clusters
• CS5 Countryside and Green Belt
• CS6 Sustainable Design and Development Principles
• CS11 Type and Affordability of Housing
• CS12 Gypsy and Traveller Provision
• CS13 Economic Development, Enterprise and Employment
• CS17 Environmental Networks.

It also reflects paragraph 50 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) which seeks to widen choice including for those people wishing to build their own home.

The Natural Environment Supplementary Planning Document expands on the requirements of Core Strategy policies:

• CS6 (Sustainable Design and Development Principles)
• CS17 (Environmental Networks)
• SAMDev policy MD12 (Natural Environment)

These policies safeguard Shropshire’s high quality environment and encourage positive actions to enhance existing features.

The Local Plan policies protect Shropshire’s natural assets. These include:

• the special qualities of the Shropshire Hills AONB
• locally designated biodiversity and geological sites
• priority habitats and species
• important trees
• woodlands and hedges
• ecological networks
• geological assets
• visual amenity
• landscape character
• local distinctiveness and ecological and environmental networks

The SPD provides detailed advice to applicants on assessing the effect a proposal may have on these natural assets with specific reference to the level and type of information needed to support a planning application. Where the assessment shows that such harm is likely to be adverse and significant, unavoidable (through re-design or re-location of the development) and the social and economic benefits of the proposal outweigh the harm to the asset, guidance on appropriate mitigation and compensation measures is given. The SPD also provides an outline of the planning requirements for legally protected features such as Special Areas of Conservation, (including Habitats Regulations Assessment) SSSI’s, legally protected species, trees and hedgerows and the Shropshire Hills AONB.

The Historic Environment Supplementary Planning Document expands on the requirements of Core Strategy policies:

• CS6 (Sustainable Design and Development Principles)
• CS17 (Environmental Networks)
• SAMDev policy MD13 (Historic Environment)

These policies aim to protect and conserve Shropshire’s heritage assets by preventing any adverse effects.

The Local Plan policies protect Shropshire’s heritage assets, both designated and non-designated.  Some of Shropshire’s assets include listed buildings, scheduled ancient monuments, world heritage sites and conservation areas.  The SPD will provide detailed guidance to applicants on assessing the effect a development proposal on both designated and non-designated heritage assets.  Where harm from a proposal is likely to cause an adverse effect on the significance of a heritage asset, including its setting, a heritage assessment will be required.  The SPD provides detailed guidance and advice to applicants on assessing such effects.  Further chapters explain that where the harm is deemed unavoidable (through re-design or re-location of the development), the public benefits of the proposal must be clearly outlined.  The final chapter provides information about appropriate mitigation measures.  The SPD will also provide an outline of the planning legislation and Acts for designated assets.