Draft RSS Proposed Changes – first stage consultation

On May 29 2007, the Government published the Proposed Changes to the draft Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS), taking into account the recommendations made in the panel report. A total of 207 proposed changes were made to the submission draft of the RSS.

Supplementary information

The Secretary of State invited the North East Assembly (NEA) to provide supplementary information on both housing provision and employment land. This information was endorsed by members of the NEA special plenary on 16 July 2007.

Public consultation

A public consultation on the proposed changes to the draft RSS was launched  from May to August 2007 for ten weeks. The consultation process enabled stakeholders to respond to the proposed changes to the RSS, and permitted supplementary information on housing provisions and employment land to be considered. A summary of representations made upon the proposed changes to the draft RSS can be accessed on the Government for the North East website. 

During this consultation, the NEA submitted a paper setting out the revised levels of additional housing provison, as requested by the Government, and a supplementary technical paper.

The North East Assembly's response

The NEA's detailed response to the 2007 proposed changes was endorsed by the NEA at a special plenary on 31 July 2007, and subsequently submitted to Government for consideration.

The NEA's detailed response to the Secretary of State's proposed changes is set out in Annexes a, b, c and d. The NEA's main report outlines the proposed changes by the Secretary of State that are supported and the proposed changes where the NEA requested amendments.

Environmental statements

The Government published an Appropriate Assessment (AA) of the RSS proposed changes under the Habitats Regulation in order to assess the potential impacts of development proposals in the RSS on nature conservation sites of European importance.

Copies of the Appropriate Assessments are available for download using the links below:

• Appropriate Assessment Summary Report
• Appropriate Assessment Full Report
• Appropriate Assessment Screening Report
• Appropriate Assessment Screening Technical Appendices

Other accompanying documents are available for download below:

• Statement of Reasons for the Proposed Changes
• Sustainability Assessment of the Proposed Changes Summary Report
• Sustainability Assessment of the Proposed Changes Full Report
• RSS Submission Draft June 2005
• Examination in Public Panel Report
• Examination in Public Report Addendum
• Sustainability Appraisal
• Sustainability Appraisal Appendix A (Policy Review)
• Sustainability Appraisal Appendix B (Update of Baseline Data)
• Sustainability Appraisal Appendix C (Appraisal Matrices)

Links to more RSS related pages:

Regional Spatial Strategy

Two-stage RSS consultation

Submission draft of the RSS

Draft RSS further proposed changes