Direction of Travel consultation

The Direction of Travel document was the first stage in the engagement process with residents, business and other stakeholders on what our vision for growth and future development should be.

The borough is facing a number of key challenges, opportunities and critical planning issues. This document sets out what we think they are, and how they could be included in a new Local Plan.

This was an additional stage of consultation that is not prescribed by legislation. We invited your views on how the borough should accommodate growth and plan for new development. The next section provides a summary of responses received, of the full details of each respond and any attachment provided by the respondents.

Alongside the Direction of Travel, there was a 'call for sites' consultation, to identify what land may become available during the Local Plan period. We were also seeking comments on the revised Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report.

View the Direction of Travel consultation. You can also read a summary leaflet (pdf, 1.1 MB) first. Responses could be made by post or email, or by completing a questionnaire available online, or a Word document (MS Word, 208 KB) or PDF version (pdf, 304 KB).

The consultation opened on 24 February 2020 and closed 5 April 2020.

Consultation responses

• An overarching Consultation Report with a Summary of all responses (pdf, 1.5 MB) received to the Direction of Travel Consultation, including the Call for Sites and Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report (November 2020)
• Schedule of Direction of Travel all responses received (pdf, 1.9 MB)
• Schedule of Direction of Travel all responses received - Appendices (pdf, 2.2 MB)

Call for Sites

We are required by Government to issue a call for sites and broad locations for development as part of the preparation of the new Local Plan. This is to identify as many potential opportunities as possible, aimed at as wide an audience as possible so that those not normally involved in property development have the opportunity to contribute. 

This occurred alongside the Direction of Travel consultation, so we will have a better understanding, at this early stage in preparing the Plan, what land may become available during the Local Plan period and an understanding of deliverability.

Please note that the ‘call for sites’ exercise does not mean we will have to allocate the suggested sites for development, but we will be able to assess from a potentially large number of sites their suitability, availability and deliverability.

Individuals, landowners, developers, businesses, local groups were invited to put forward sites for consideration.

Consultation responses

• An overarching Consultation Report with a Summary of all responses (pdf, 1.5 MB) received to the Direction of Travel Consultation, including the Call for Sites and Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report (November 2020)
• Schedule of Call for Sites all responses received (pdf, 2.0 MB)
• Schedule of Call for Sites all responses received - Appendices (pdf, 5.9 MB)

Draft Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report

The purpose of Sustainability Appraisal is to consider the likely social, environmental and economic impacts of the emerging plan, it also incorporates the requirements of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). As part of the preparation of a new Local Plan, we have reviewed and updated its draft Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report (February 2020), which identifies the scope and level of detail of the information to be included in the Sustainability Appraisal.

We were seeking views on the draft report from the three statutory consultees with environmental responsibilities in England (Historic England, Natural England, and the Environment Agency). Other relevant stakeholders with a sustainability remit or a local interest were also able to review the report and submit representations.

View draft revised of the Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report (pdf, 2.7 MB)

Consultation responses

• Schedule of Sustainability Appraisal all responses received (pdf, 148 KB)

A revised Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report  (July 2020) (pdf, 2.8 MB) was published, which took account of all responses received during the consultation (pdf, 225 KB).

After the consultation - what is happening next?

A summary of all responses is available on this page under the relevant consultation. These responses will be fully considered and taken into account when preparing the plan.

There will be further engagement targeting young people to inform and shape the new Local Plan in summer/autumn 2021.

We have now commenced a number of evidence base studies that we mentioned in the Direction of Travel and these will be added to our research page later in the year as they become available to publish.

A public consultation to inform the Urban Design Study was undertaken from 17 May to 6 June 2021, which provided an opportunity to comment on what is special about certain areas/places  in the borough, and why.

The latest timetable for the preparation of the new Local Plan, including the further statutory consultations and stages towards adoption in 2024, are set out in the Local Development Scheme. 

It is now expected that the Pre-publication consultation on the draft Plan and SA (Regulation 18) will take place in Winter 2021/2022, and an update of the revised Local Development Scheme is due to be published later in 2021.

Contact

If you would like to be kept informed of future progress on the Local Plan, you can opt-in to our Local Plan database by sending your contact details.

Email: localplan@richmond.gov.uk