Planning policy evidence base

From this page you can access the background studies that collectively form the evidence base for the Wiltshire Local Development Framework (LDF).

Wiltshire Council background studies

Background studies that are either ongoing, or apply to the whole of Wiltshire, can be accessed below.

Consultation responses

Responses to consultations also form part of the evidence base. The responses to consultations carried out by the former district councils towards their individual core strategies will inform the Wiltshire Core Strategy. The links below will take you to the web pages for the Wiltshire Core Strategy and the South Wiltshire Core Strategy (formerly Salisbury Core Strategy) respectively. From these pages, you can access consultation work previously undertaken by the district councils.

District specific background studies

Background studies carried out on behalf of the former district councils are located in the box below. Simply select the relevant tab on top of the box. For example, for studies pertaining to West Wiltshire, select the 'West' tab on the box.

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North

The following documents relate to the North Wiltshire area.

North Wiltshire Retail Needs Assessment Study 2007

Roger Tym and Partners were commissioned by the former North Wiltshire District Council to undertake an assessment of the retail needs of the North Wiltshire area. A copy of the full report is available to download below. Due to the large size of the document, the main report and the appendices are also available to download separately.

North Wiltshire Landscape Character Assessment 2004

A Landscape Character Assessment of the North Wiltshire area, undertaken by White Consultants, was published in 2004 and used to inform the natural environment policies in the North Wiltshire Local Plan 2011.

North Wiltshire Employment Land Review 2006

Consultants Atkins were commissioned to undertake a review of employment land within the North Wiltshire area and their report was published in October, 2006. The purpose of the study was to highlight current issues facing employment land provision and the prospects and needs for its future.

North Wiltshire Strategic Flood Risk Assessment Level One 2007

North Wiltshire District Council commissioned consultants Scott Wilson to undertake a Strategic Flood Risk Assessment. The report, published in October 2007, is available to download below.

Swindon Housing Market Assessment 2006

The purpose of this Housing Market Assessment is to provide an overview of the housing market in the Swindon sub-region in order to inform housing and planning policies, and broader regeneration and economic development initiatives. The Assessment has been undertaken in accordance with the requirements for Housing Market Assessments issued by the Government. It was commissioned by North Wiltshire District Council, Kennet District Council, Swindon Borough Council and Wiltshire County Council. The final report was published in November 2006.

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South

Welcome to the evidence base page for the south Wiltshire area. On this page you will find topic papers, background studies, surveys and assessments to support the South Wiltshire Core Strategy.

Clicking on one of the links in the list below will take you to the relevant document.

Salisbury Transport Model

A transport model is required in order to assess the transport impacts of this growth. In 2009 a transport model was developed which shows how and when people travel by car, bus and train in Salisbury. The movement of goods by HGVs are also included in the transport model. When the model is run, the results show how much traffic there is on the roads, how many people use public transport. The model also tells us how congested the roads are. The model has then been used to test the transport impact of building more houses and providing more jobs for the year 2026. The changes can then be compared to the situation in 2008.

The modeling gives us the assurance that there are a range of improvements and changes which could be developed that would allow Salisbury’s growth to take place.

The next stage of the transport modeling work is to develop a Transport Strategy for Salisbury. This will aim to reduce the amount of traffic congestion on the roads in Salisbury by 2026. The Transport Strategy will be prepared by early 2010. It will provide the blueprint as to how future traffic growth in Salisbury can be managed. The first part of this process is to model the Council’s Established Approach to transport policy. The second part is to model a Radical Option to transport policy. The results of this stage will show the degree to which different transport options could have on meeting agreed objectives. This stage is reported in the Options Assessment Report.

Topic Papers

A raft of evidence supports the South Wiltshire Core Strategy. Each major theme has been explored in 'Topic Paper' documents that set out the context, evidence and issues in more detail. These documents have developed and changed over time to accommodate the results of consultation and new evidence.

Second Addendum to Topic Papers (July 2009)

The following second addendum to the Topic Papers were published in July 2009. These contain analysis of the Preferred Options consultations and fed into the Core Strategy submission document.

First Addendum to Topic Papers (February 2008)

The following addendum to the Topic Papers were published in February 2008. These contain analysis of the Issues and Options consultation and fed into the Preferred Options consultation stage.

Original Topic Papers (July 2007)

Below are the original Topic Papers (published in July 2007) that accompanied the original Our Place in the Future Issues and Options consultation.

Strategic Sites Viability Overview Assessment

The purpose of the Strategic Sites Viability Overview Assessment is to consider the likely financial viability of residential development (and therefore of strategic housing growth) on the strategic sites in the South Wiltshire Core Strategy. A preliminary version of the final report by consultants Adams Integra, published in December 2009, is available to download below.

South West RSS Additional Sustainability Appraisal Note

A letter from the Government Office for the South West, sent 21 December 2009, outlining the current status of the Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West, following the decision to undertake further sustainability appraisal work, is available to download below.

South West Councils Letter of Conformity

The response from South West Councils, sent on 30 September 2009, to the consultation on the proposed submission draft of the South Wiltshire Core Strategy is available to download below.

GOSW Comments on the Proposed Submission Document

The response from the Government Office for the South West to the consultation on the proposed submission draft of the South Wiltshire Core Strategy is available to download below.

'Envisioning the Future' Military Civilian Integration Project Report

In July 2009, the council published a report on the 'Envisioning the Future' project, which forms part of the wider Military Civil Integration (MCI) Programme, initiated to optimise the economic and social benefit of the military presence in Wiltshire. Partners in the MCI programme include the MoD together with other Public Sector organisations as well as those in the Private and Third Sectors. The report is available to download below.

Affordable Housing Economic Viability Study

In the process of developing planning-led affordable housing policies for the South Wiltshire area, consultants Adams Integra were commissioned to study the effect of changes to affordable housing policy on residential development viability. The final report, published in January 2009, is available to download below.

Historic Environment Assessment

In late January 2009, in order to strengthen the existing evidence base and ensure the emerging choices are the most appropriate, English Heritage commissioned Land Use Consultants (LUC) to provide an independent review of the potential effects of the spatial options for South Wiltshire and their impact on the historic environment.

Review of the Salisbury Central Area '40 Foot Rule' Policy

The Review of the Salisbury Central Area '40 Foot Rule', published in August 2008, looks at the so-called '40 Foot Rule', which places a strict limit on the amount of development possible within the Salisbury Central Area.

Transport Assessment

A South Wiltshire Transport Assessment was published in March 2008 and reviewed accessibility across the area to support the South Wiltshire Core Strategy. The final document is available below, again divided into sections for more convenient download.

Landscape Character Assessment

A Landscape Character Assessment, published in February 2008, provides an integrated assessment of the character of the south Wiltshire area and serves as a baseline of environmental information, aiding understanding of the diversity, character, distrinctiveness, sensitivity to change and management needs of the landscapes in the south Wiltshire area. The Landscape Character Assessment has specifically been used as evidence to inform the South Wiltshire Core Strategy

The final document is available below, divided into sections for more convenient download.

Strategic Flood Risk Assessment

Strategic Flood Risk Assessment Level Two (September 2009)

In September 2009, a Level Two Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) was published for the two areas being considered for future development in the South Wiltshire Core Strategy that are at risk of flooding. These areas are the Churchfields Industrial Estate and the Central Car Park/ Maltings in Salisbury. The main report and the flood maps are available to download below.

Strategic Flood Risk Assessment Level One (February 2008)

A Level One Strategic Flood Risk Assessment was jointly commissioned with four other local councils: Bournemouth Borough Council, Christchurch Borough Council, East Dorset District Council and North Dorset District Council: and was published in February 2008.

The SFRA assesses all forms of flood risk both now and in the future (taking likely climate change into account). The purpose is to:

  • inform the sustainability appraisal so that flood risk is taken into account when considering options in the preparation of strategic land use policies;
  • propose appropriate policy recommendations for the management of flood risk within the Local Development Documents;
  • determine the acceptability of flood risk in relation to emergency planning capability;
  • identify the level of detail required for future site-specific Flood Risk Assessments (FRAs) that support planning applications.

The final document is available below, again divided into sections for more convenient download.

Settlement Setting Assessment

The Settlement Setting Assessment, published in February 2008, was commissioned alongside the Landscape Character Assessment and:

  • Assesses the key sensitivities and capacities of the landscape within the settings of the main settlements in the south Wiltshire area in relation to development and change
  • Analyses the key qualities that are desirable to safeguard
  • Provides recommendations on how and where new development might best be accommodated, within each settlement.

The Settlement Setting Assessment is available to download by individual chapter below.

Salisbury Vision

The Salisbury Vision is a plan that outlines a long term programme of change and gradual development aimed at improving the lives of everyone that lives in, works in or visits Salisbury. It sets out a range of proposals that have been designed to tackle the big issues facing the city, such as delivering major improvements to traffic, transport and parking, making the city’s streets, pavements and other public areas more attractive and encouraging major new developments that will bring shops, jobs and increased leisure opportunities.

Employment Land Review

The Employment Land Review, published in April 2007, is intended to provide a robust analysis of employment land supply and demand. It will function as a broad evidence base on employment land and economic issues for the South Wiltshire Core Strategy, which will itself set out key principles for development and a vision for the future distribution of development in the area. Clear guidance will be given by the Review towards the allocation of new sites in a future Wiltshire Site Allocations Development Plan Document and it will also serve as a point of reference by the Council in determining planning applications relating to employment land.

Open Space Study

This study, published in 2007, is a requirement of government planning guidance and investigates whether the current level of open space provision is sufficient in terms of quality, quantity and accessibility to meet the needs of our residents now and in the future.

The final document is available below, again divided into sections for more convenient download.

Indices of Multiple Deprivation: 2004 and 2007 an Update for Salisury District

Periodically the government releases updates on levels of deprivation for small areas across England known as “Super Output Areas” (or “SOA”). These are a standard yardstick for national comparison of deprivation, and derive directly from information on such things as claiming benefits, unemployment, and crime figures. There are over 32,000 of these and therefore the data is useful in identifying small “pockets” of deprivation. An individual SOA typically has only a few hundred residents. Within Salisbury there are 73 SOAs, so individual electoral wards have between 1 and 5.

Retail and Leisure Needs Study

A Retail and Leisure Needs Study, published in October 2006, provides a context for policies and proposals within the forthcoming South Wiltshire Core Strategy, with particularl reference to the amount of floorspace that needs to be allocated for future retail and leisure development.

Local Housing Needs and Market Survey

In August 2006, Salisbury District Council commissioned DCA consultants to undertake a Local Housing Needs and Market Survey.

Tourism Strategy for South Wiltshire

A Tourism Strategy for South Wiltshire, published in 2006 in association with the Salisbury and Stonehenge Tourism Partnership, sets out what we wish to achieve together over the next 10 years.

The following documents and information were used in the preparation of the tourism strategy.

Rural Facilities Survey

The Rural Facilities Survey report, published in 2005, seeks to ascertain the extent of services and facilities within the smaller settlements in Wiltshire County and Swindon Borough.

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East

The following documents relate to the East Wiltshire (Kennet) area.

East Wiltshire Employment Land Supply Statements

Atkins Economic Study of Kennet District 2006

Inset Maps

Housing

East Wiltshire Town Centre Users Survey 2006

East Wiltshire Landscape Conservation Strategy 2005

East Wiltshire Landscape Character Assessment

Part One: Maps

Part Two: Character Areas

1. Avebury Plain

2. Marlborough Downs

3. Savernake Plateau

4. Horton Down

5. Salisbury Plain

6. Chute Forest

7. Kennet Valley

8. Salisbury Avon Valley

9. Vale of Pewsey

10. Bristol Avon Clay Vale

11. Spye Parklands

Bibliography and Appendices

Devizes Parking Survey 2006

Devizes Traffic Model

Drawings

East Wiltshire Strategic Flood Risk Assessment

Appendices

Devizes Town Centre Area Action Plan

Published In July 2005, a report by Gillespies and their consultant team outlined a series of proposals for Devizes Town Centre. A public consultation on these proposals then took place between 24 October and 23 December, 2005. A record of all of the consultation activities is included in a Statement of Community Involvement. Both the Gillespies Report and the Statement of Community Involvementon the Devizes Town Centre Area Action Plan, intended as early steps towards an Area Action Plan for Devizes, are available to download below.

Gillespies Report

The Gillespies Report is divided into the following four sections, which can all be downloaded below:

  • Baseline Review and Analysis
  • Interim and Options Report
  • Land Use Framework and Urban Design Codes
  • Delivery Report

Baseline Review and Analysis

1. Introduction to Study

2. Executive Summary

3. Introduction to the Town

4. Planning Policy

5. Transport

6. Urban Design

7. Sustainability

8. Socio-Economic and Market

Interim and Options Report

Land Use Framework and Urban Design Codes

Delivery Report

Statement of Community Engagement on the Devizes Town Centre Area Action Plan

Appendices

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West

The following documents relate to the West Wiltshire area.

West Wiltshire Strategic Flood Risk Level 1 Assessment

West Wiltshire District Council commissioned consultants Scott Wilson to undertake a Level 1 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment. The final report, published in August 2008, provides an overview of flood risk from all sources within the former West Wiltshire District Council administrative area. Due to the large size of the document, it is available to download in the following sections.

West Wiltshire Employment Land Assessment

DPDS Consulting was commissioned to undertake an Employment Land Assessment of the West Wiltshire area. The final report and appendices, published in January 2007, can be accessed through the links below.

West Wiltshire Landscape Character Assessment

Chris Blandford Associates was commissioned to undertake a Landscape Character Assessment of the West Wiltshire area. The final report and diagrams, published in March 2007, are available to download from the links below. Due to the large size of the document, it has been divided into several parts for ease of downloading.

Main Report and Appendices

Chapter 4

Figures

West Wiltshire Retail Needs Study

DPDS Consulting was commissioned to undertake a Retail Needs Study of the West Wiltshire area. The final report and appendices, published in April 2007, can be accessed through the links below.

West Wiltshire Leisure and Recreation Needs Assessment

Consultants Kit Campbell Associates were commissioned in July 2004 to carry out a comprehensive leisure and recreation needs assessment for the West Wiltshire area.

The final report, updated in May 2007, is available to download below.

The Leisure and Recreation Needs Assessment was used to inform the preparation of the Leisure and Recreation DPD, which underwent a Public Examination in 2008.

During the Hearing session (15-18 July 2008) of the Public Examination, Kit Campbell gave a presentation on the methodology used in the Leisure and Recreation Needs Assessment. A copy of the presentation notes is available to download below

Following further questions from the Inspector after the presentation, Kit Campbell provided additional information on the methodology. A copy is available to download below

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Contact Details

Email: spatialplanningpolicy@wiltshire.gov.uk
Telephone: 01225 713489
Postal Address:
Spatial Planning Team
Wiltshire Council
County Hall
Bythesea Road
Trowbridge
Wiltshire
BA14 8JN

Last updated: 12 February 2010