Strategic Objectives

Meeting the challenges of climate change

1.      Ensure that growth contributes to decarbonisation through reduced reliance on fossil fuels and achievement of biodiversity net gain; and the delivery of zero and low carbon development that is resilient and adaptable to climate change incorporating measures to aid urban cooling and biodiversity such as green walls and tree planting.

2.      Ensuring growth takes place in sustainable locations that minimise the need to travel and provide genuine sustainable transport and active travel options.

3.      Making the most effective use of previously developed land, including higher density development in city and town centres and other locations well served by public transport.

4.      Ensure development effectively integrates with existing development, and/or is a self-contained development that provides shops, services, facilities through walking, cycling or public transport.

5.      Delivers low and zero carbon energy development, making the most effective use of renewable energy opportunities, both in new developments and off-site energy generation.

6.      Ensure development is located in areas that are not liable to flooding, considering the implications of climate change, making effective use of sustainable drainage systems and natural flood management techniques. Ensure that existing infrastructure is adequately protected from the threat of flooding, and that existing flood defences and protected and enhanced.

7.      Ensure development incorporates measures to reduce waste.

8.      Ensure people can make carbon friendly choices at home by providing easy to use cycle storage, covered space to dry washing outside, space to grow food and compost.

Building strong, competitive and sustainable urban and rural economies

1.      Providing the right conditions and sufficient land in the right locations to support existing and new businesses and deliver the ‘green growth’.

2.      Improve the area’s economic resilience, supporting a highly skilled workforce, skills and educational development attainment. Providing the right environment for business start-ups, entrepreneurship, and the improvement and expansion of education and training facilities to develop the skills employers need.

3.      Supporting the needs of agricultural businesses, encouraging farm diversification, the development of small rural business units, the conversion of existing buildings for rural business use, appropriate expansion of existing businesses.

4.      Supporting effective home working through provision of housing with adequate space and services.

5.      Developing the area’s role as a tourist destination, building on the unique and varied cultural offer that already exists.

6.      Ensuring access to high speed, reliable full-fibre broadband connectivity in both urban and rural areas.

Ensuring strong and vibrant city and town centres

1.      Ensuring a network of city and town centres that meet the needs of communities, including supporting cultural uses and events, and that are able to respond and evolve as the role and function of centres changes.

2.      Support the provision of a wide range of different uses appropriate to city and town centres, including new homes, to create activity at different times of the day and build an active city and town centre community.

3.      To draw on the uniqueness of the different centres in planning for their future.

Delivering a wide choice of homes that meet the needs of our communities

1.      Delivering sufficient new homes in the right places to meet the needs of our communities, including market and affordable, specialist homes (e.g. older persons), Gypsy, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople and those wishing to build their own homes (self and custom build homes).

2.      Delivering housing of the right size, type and tenure to crate mixed and balanced communities, in sustainable locations and with good access to shops, services and facilities.

Delivering well designed, beautiful and safe places

1.      Supporting the creation of high quality, beautiful and sustainable buildings and places through good design.

2.      Ensuring that new development is integrated well with existing communities and providing well-located infrastructure which meets the needs of communities;

3.      Creating a strong sense of place through high quality and inclusive design that respects and enhances local distinctiveness.

Prioritising sustainable transport and active travel

1.      Reducing the need to travel by creating real options for healthy, accessible and walkable neighbourhoods where key services are available without the need to use motorised transport;

2.      Promoting the use of sustainable travel modes by improving existing and providing new frequent public transport links and safe walking and cycling routes in all new developments;

3.      Reducing reliance on the private vehicle by improving access to services in rural and urban areas through new development, improved integrated transport links and supporting local and community led transport initiatives in the Local Transport Plan;

4.      Creating a genuine choice between different modes of transport by integrating new development with existing networks and enhancing these wherever possible.

Making as much use as possible of brownfield land and conserving and enhancing the natural and historic environments

1.      Protecting and enhancing the area’s unique historic and cultural environment, archaeological heritage and geological assets whilst enabling appropriate development that facilitates the cross-cutting objectives of sustainable development;

2.      Conserving, managing and enhancing the area’s unique natural environment and biodiversity, including its waterways, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the Cotswolds National Landscape, and areas of landscape and biodiversity importance, and maximising the opportunities to use land to manage flood water;

3.      Ensuring developments support green infrastructure and improve existing green infrastructure within urban and rural areas to provide movement corridors for people and wildlife.

Promoting healthy and resilient communities

1.      Delivering new developments that are supported by the necessary social and community infrastructure, including schools, open space, playing fields, community facilities and green and blue infrastructure and promote community cohesion.

2.      Supporting and safeguarding village shops that serve the everyday needs of local communities.

3.      Delivering new developments that are fully integrated into the green infrastructure network to allow people access to nature and green spaces to maximise wellbeing and active travel opportunities.

4.      Ensure new developments create high quality living environments and prioritise health and mental wellbeing.

5.      Ensure that all homes have useable functioning amenity space that allows residents the opportunity to live, work and relax outside.