New planning rules come into force to support South Worcestershire Development Plan

Two important planning documents have been adopted by the three councils behind the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP).
 
Supplementary Planning Documents on Affordable Housing and Developer Contributions have now been approved by Malvern Hills District Council, Worcester City Council and Wychavon District Council, following public consultations earlier this year.
 
The two documents set out essential guidance that will help ensure the SWDP’s aims of boosting the local economy and delivering sustainable development can be delivered.
 
The Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document will help developers, land owners and others who hope to build affordable housing under policies outlined in the SWDP.
 
It supports the SWDP policies on new affordable housing and explains how these policies will be interpreted and implemented. It includes information on the amount, design, location and tenure of new affordable housing.  
 
The Supplementary Planning Document on Developer Contributions sets out how and when developers will need to make financial and direct contributions towards local infrastructure or environmental improvements in order to ensure their proposals are acceptable in planning terms, in line with the SWDP policies.
 
It provides guidance about when planning obligations will be expected, the scale of developer contributions, and how they will be used.
 
Both documents can be read at www.swdevelopmentplan.org, the three councils’ own websites, at local libraries and at the councils’ contact centres.
 
The South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP) was adopted earlier this year by Malvern Hills District Council, Worcester City Council and Wychavon District Council following a formal Examination in public. The Plan provides a long term vision up to 2030 for south Worcestershire, with the emphasis on boosting the local economy and delivering sustainable development.