The Council adopted Policy CL7: Basements on 21 January 2015 and it forms part of the Local Plan. The Council has now produced a draft Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) on Basements. The Draft Basements SPD provides more detailed guidance and advice on adopted Core Strategy Policy CL7: Basements. It is designed to help applicants make successful planning applications and for residents to understand the various issues that the Council will consider in assessing planning applications. It will replace the existing SPD on Subterranean Development, 2009.

The Council is consulting on the Draft Basements SPD for 6 weeks, starting from 18 February to 11.59pm on 1 April 2015.

The Draft Basements SPD is available below to view and comment. Please Respond by filling in the online questionnaire.

The Council has produced a Screening Report to establish whether the Basements SPD will require a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Sustainability Appraisal (SA) to be undertaken. The statutory consultees (Environment Agency, English Heritage and Natural England) were consulted on this Screening. The Council's Screening Opinion is that the Basements SPD does not require a SEA or SA to be undertaken due to the reasons set out in the Screening Report. This view is supported in the responses from the Environment Agency and English Heritage.

The Council has undertaken an Equalities Impact Assessment. All of these documents are available to view/download below.

This consultation has now closed.