The Council's Preferred Option is ambiguous and is not based on robust or credible evidence. As per the Issues and Options Paper, the Preferred Options documents states that 'the Council proposes to continue its restrictive suite of policies for development within the Green Belt, in line with national guidance' an approach which contradicts text elsewhere within the document. More specifically, paragraph 4.2.5 advises that whilst 'the Council still believes that the reuse of previously developed land has an important role to play in fulfilling housing and employment targets. The scope for the use of such land appears to be diminishing as many of the major sites have been used'. Paragraph 4.2.6 goes on to advise that 'the Council will also consider releasing land where it fails to fulfil Green Belt objectives'.

Notwithstanding these comments, the Council's Preferred Option fails to provide flexibility to allow the Core Strategy to respond to changes in circumstances during the plan period, such as the limited availability of previously developed land, to allow the release of land within the Green Belt if its development is required to satisfy the strategic requirements.

In addition, under the heading 'Housing Numbers and Phasing', paragraph 4.5.3 of the Preferred Options document, states that the Council is 'reviewing its Urban Capacity Study, which was prepared in 2001'. Therefore, it is evident that at this stage the Council's Preferred Option is not informed by robust or credible evidence to demonstrate whether sufficient land is available within the District's principal urban areas, or whether it will be necessary to release land from the Green Belt, to satisfy strategic requirements.

Given that it understood that the Council's Urban Capacity Study - the findings of which could have significant implications for the Council's Preferred Options - is to be finalised within the next few weeks, publication of the Preferred Options document is both premature and prejudicial. The premature publication of the document denies the public with an opportunity to comment on Preferred Options that are based on credible evidence before the Core Strategy is submitted to the Secretary of State.