The pages below/right publish the evidence base for the proposed Submission Local Plan.
| Document | Description | Date completed |
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| Housing and Economic Development Needs Assessment (HEDNA) Report | The HEDNA provides an assessment of the need for housing, economic growth potential and employment land across Coventry & Warwickshire. It considers the scale of overall housing need, the need for different types of homes, and the state of the housing market, as well as the broader economic dynamics and growth potential of the sub-region. | November 2022 |
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This document provides a summary of the HEDNA report described above. | November 2022 |
| Updated Housing Needs Evidence | A report that updates the housing needs evidence for the borough in the Coventry and Warwickshire Housing and Economic Development Needs Assessment 2022. | September 2025 |
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This is a study of strategic employment sites across much of the West Midlands. It provides recommendations about the number and type of sites required to support the continued economic growth of the region. | August 2024 |
| This paper addresses the overlaps between the aforementioned HEDNA and WMSESS to provide aligned recommendations about employment land needs. | November 2024 | |
| This report summarises the key issues arising from a review of representations made regarding the HEDNA-WMSESS Alignment Paper and sets out key issues requiring further consideration. | November 2025 | |
| This paper considers the alignment between homes and jobs with the findings of the strategic Housing Market Area evidence. | December 2025 | |
| This assessment reviews and updates the findings of the HEDNA in relation to office space needs. | November 2025 | |
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This assessment identifies the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers, travelling showpeople and houseboat occupants, and makes recommendations for how this need can be met through planning policy. | February 2025 |
| Outlines the identified supply of Gyspy and Traveller pitches for the new local plan period. | December 2025 | |
| This paper provides a summary of the Council’s position on the future development needs of the borough with a focus on housing and employment land. | December 2025 | |
| This document outlines the trajectory for housing development across the new local plan period. It is a more detailed version of the trajectory that is presented in Appendix 1 of the plan. | December 2025 |
| Document | Description | Date completed |
|---|---|---|
| This document identifies reasonable alternative spatial options capable of delivering the borough’s housing and employment needs. | December 2025 | |
| Sustainability Appraisal Non-Technical Summary | This document provides a non-technical summary of the Sustainability Appraisal | January 2026 |
| This report tests the ability of developments to accommodate policies outlined in the Pre-Submission plan alongside prevailing rates of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), as well as alternative contributions towards community infrastructure through a range of Section 106 contributions. | December 2025 | |
| The Infrastructure Delivery Schedule specifies what infrastructure is required to support development and outlines how it will be provided. | December 2025 | |
| This study assesses the contribution that Green Belt land within the Borough makes to the five Green Belt purposes as defined by the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). | October 2025 | |
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Following on from the Strategic Assessment, this second stage Green Belt study provides more detailed analysis of land within sites that are being promoted for development. | December 2025 |
| This document assesses the impact of various growth scenarios on the key transport corridors and locations for all modes of transport across the borough. | December 2025 | |
| This document provides a brief non-technical summary of the Strategic Transport Assessment’s methodology and key findings. | December 2025 | |
| This STA addendum documents the effect that the proposed Regulation 19 submission sites will have on the operation of the transport network inclusive of the revised plan period (running to 2042). | December 2025 | |
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Further transport analysis in response to amendments to the development quantum planned for the South-West Rugby Employment Phase II site. | December 2025 |
| This document reports the results of a study of the borough’s rural settlements. It records the access that each settlement has to services and facilities, public transport and the internet, then ranks their sustainability based on this information. | December 2024 | |
| This study seeks to quantify the potential for accommodating new homes on land and buildings within the built-up area of Rugby. | November 2025 | |
| This document contains the proformas for all of the sites considered within the Urban Capacity Study. | November 2025 |
| Document | Description | Date completed |
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| The HELAA is a technical report that provides information on the range of sites which are available to meet the need for housing and employment land. The assessment covers sites put forward by landowners and those identified by officers through desktop review. | December 2025 | |
| This addendum covers 11 additional potential development allocation sites plus four Gypsy and Traveller pitch sites. These sites were either submitted by promoters after the original Call for Sites or have subsequently been modified since the HELAA was produced. | October 2025 | |
| This document reports on the detailed assessment of sites identified in the HELAA as not being developable without changes to policy. The assessments are primarily composed of technical analyses of constraints and opportunities. | December 2025 | |
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This document summarises the stages undertaken for the site selection process and development of reasonable alternative spatial strategy options. | December 2025 |
| This topic paper sets out the council’s position on exceptional circumstances justifying changes to Green Belt boundaries. | December 2025 | |
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These documents provide an initial assessment of the transport network implications resulting from the delivery of potential development sites identified by the Council through the "call for sites" process. | February 2025 |
| Document | Description | Date completed |
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Appendix 2, Household Survey Results Appendix 3, Rugby Town Centre Healthcheck Appendix 4, Quantitative Retail Tables |
This study considers the need for additional retail and leisure facilities in the borough and assesses the vitality and viability of Rugby town centre. | October 2024 |
| This study assesses the vitality of a range of potential local centres in the borough, records opportunities for their improvement, and recommends which locations should be formally designated as centres within the local plan’s settlement hierarchy. | September 2024 |
| Document | Description | Date completed |
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| This report assesses the ecological constraints at 53 ecologically sensitive HELAA sites, identifies potential impacts of development, and outlines recommendations for mitigating impacts. | October 2025 | |
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This note provides further assessment of ecological constraints at site 50 (Prologis Park Ryton West, Ryton-on-Dunsmore) which complements the information provided in the full Ecological Constraints Assessment document. | January 2025 |
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This note provides further assessment of ecological constraints at sites 50, 71, 121, 133 and 315 which complements the information provided in the full Ecological Constraints Assessment document. | August 2025 |
| This document screens the preferred options plan to identify whether it contains any aspects which may lead to a ‘Likely Significant Effect’ at any sites deemed to be of international importance to rare and vulnerable species of birds which have been given special protection as important conservation areas. | February 2025 | |
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This document provides an ‘appropriate assessment’ of the likely significant effects identified by the HRA Screening Report. | December 2025 |
| This document explains the methodology used to identify suitable broad locations for renewable energy development based on their technical potential. | August 2024 | |
| This map shows the broad locations suitable for renewable energy development identified through an application of the methodology explained in the previous document. | August 2024 | |
| This strategy seeks to provide evidence to support the preparation of plans, policies and strategies relating to Green Infrastructure within the sub-region of Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull. It specifies how Green Infrastructure can be delivered with the help of landholders and other relevant stakeholders. | August 2024 | |
| This document provides evidence that justifies the proposed policy on net zero carbon buildings. | November 2025 | |
| This document explores whether Policy CL1 can be demonstrated to be necessary in order for Rugby to remain in line with its net zero ambition. | August 2025 |
| Document | Description | Date completed |
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| This document assesses the potential heritage impacts of development at 30 sites where designated heritage assets are present or in close proximity. | December 2025 | |
| This assessment identifies and explains the unique combination of elements and features that distinguish the landscapes found within the borough. | January 2025 | |
| This document assesses the resilience or robustness of landscapes to potential changes arising from development proposals. It is intended to help decision makers understand how landscapes may be affected. The focus is on 33 larger sites/groups of sites. | March 2025 | |
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This document re-assesses the landscape sensitivity of eight large sites (73, 96, 121, 130, 253, 316, 325, 328) in light of additional landscape evidence submitted by site promoters. | December 2025 |
| This document assesses the resilience or robustness of landscapes to potential changes arising from development proposals. It is focused on 64 smaller sites and was produced in-house by RBC planning officers. | November 2025 | |
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This document provides an independent review of the Landscape Sensitivity Assessments that were conducted by RBC planning officers. | December 2025 |
| This document reports on an assessment of the landscape sensitivity of the Rainsbrook Valley. | December 2025 | |
| This study assesses areas between Rugby town and its nearby villages, identifying the boundaries and characteristics of potential ‘areas of separation’. | November 2025 | |
| South-West Rugby Landscape Sensitivity Assessment April 2017 | A landscape sensitivity assessment for South West Rugby produced by Warwickshire County Council Landscape Architects in 2017 | April 2017 |
| The Area of South West Rugby Landscape Sensitivity Assessment January 2026 | An up-to-date landscape sensitivity assessment for the South West Rugby site. | January 2026 |
| Document | Description | Date completed |
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This study assesses the impacts that future development within the sub-region of Coventry & Warwickshire could have on water supply, wastewater collection and treatment and water quality. It is required to assess the constraints and requirements that will arise from potential growth on the water infrastructure. | August 2024 |
| This study assesses the impact that several potential growth scenarios in Rugby borough could have on the water infrastructure and water environment of the sub-region. It is more focused than the prior Stage 1 study. | December 2025 | |
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Appendix A, Interactive Flood Mapping Appendix D, Flood Alerts and Flood Warnings |
This report provides a robust evidence base on flood risk in the borough. It is intended to assist in the management of this risk by informing decisions, including the selection of sites for development and formation of planning policies. | October 2022 |
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Level 2 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment Report Static Mapping Sites 6, 14, 50 Level 2 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment Report Static Mapping Sites 59, 61, 81 Level 2 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment Report Static Mapping Sites 84, 121, 283 Level 2 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment Report Static Mapping Sites 316, 350, 351, 352 |
The Level 2 SFRA provides detailed assessments of eight sites identified as having significant flood risk and/or access and egress issues. | January 2026 |
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This document applies the flood risk sequential test to allocations made by the local plan. | January 2026 |
| Document | Description | Date completed |
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| This report presents a supply and demand assessment of playing pitch and outdoor sport facilities in the area. | July 2023 | |
| This document presents a strategy for the provision of playing pitches and outdoor sports facilities across the borough, including: a vision for the protection, improvement and development of provision; a series of sport-by-sport recommendations; and prioritised area-by-area and site-by-site action plans. | July 2023 | |
| This document explains how the playing pitch costs that are set out in the appendices of the Pre-Submission Local Plan have been calculated. | October 2025 | |
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This report assesses the quality and value of open spaces across the borough. It recommends standards to be pursued and makes recommendations for how poor quality and low value open spaces can be improved. |
March 2025 |
| Incorporating the results of the quality audit provided above, this study quantifies the current provision of open space across the borough, proposes updated open space standards, and applies these standards to identify areas of deficiency. | December 2025 |
| Document | Description | Date completed |
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| An Equality Impact Assessment for the Pre-Submission Local Plan. | December 2025 | |
| Local Plan Consultation Statement Executive Summary | This document provides an overview of the consultation process and summarises the key points of the Consultation Statement. | January 2026 |
| This document summarises and responds to the representations made regarding the Preferred Options Consultation Document. | December 2025 | |
| Statement of Community Involvement | Our Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) outlines our plans for community consultation and involvement in the preparation of planning policy documents, and the determination of planning applications. The SCI sets out who we aim to consult with, when and what we will consult on, and how we will conduct our consultations. | January 2026 |
| The Local Development Scheme sets out the timetable for the production of the borough's Local Plan, including key production and public consultation dates. The Local Development Scheme also details the preparation process for Supplementary Planning Documents. | October 2024 | |
| This statement demonstrates how the Council has engaged with neighbouring authorities on cross-boundary issues. | January 2026 | |
| This report explains how the future need for school spaces is modelled and then presents the results with commentary on their likely implications. | December 2025 | |
| This document reports on whether properties within developments granted planning permission over the last five years have met the Nationally Described Space Standards. | February 2025 | |
| This topic paper provides an overview of the status, issues and impacts of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) within the Rugby Borough area and the policy implications this could have. | October 2025 | |
| This document reports on the number of small site windfall completions recorded in the borough over the last ten years. Its purpose is to indicate whether the estimation of 50 small site windfall completions per year used for the emerging plan is accurate. | September 2025 | |
| This topic paper provides a brief overview of how Rugby Borough has changed between the years 2011 and 2024, with a broad focus on demographics, housing, the local economy and the built environment. | September 2024 | |
| Rugby Parkway Station - Safeguarding Land for Future Expansion | This document puts forward the case for safeguarding land adjacent to the proposed Rugby Parkway Station to enable its potential future expansion. | October 2025 |
| Nuneaton Parkway Safeguarding document | This document puts forward the case for safeguarding land for the proposed Nuneaton Parkway railway station | December 2025 |
| Summary of Green Belt Changes in Proposed Submission Plan | This document describes the changes to the Green Belt as made by the proposed submission Local Plan | December 2025 |
View or download the responses to the Preferred Options consultation from the following groups and organisations (excluding responses from individuals):
In 2025, it came to the attention of the Council’s Development Strategy officers that an unpublished South-West Rugby Landscape Sensitivity Study 2017 had been prepared by Warwickshire County Council Landscape Architects on the instruction of Rugby Borough Council between January 2017 and April 2017.
The South-West Rugby study was contemporaneous with the Rainsbrook Valley Landscape Sensitivity Study (commissioned December 2016 and published March 2017) and followed the publication of the Landscape Sensitivity Study for Binley Woods, Brinklow, Long Lawford, Stretton-on-Dunsmore, Wolston and Wolvey in August 2016, both by the same authors. Unlike the latter two studies, the South-West Rugby Landscape Sensitivity Study 2017 was not identified as part of the evidence base when the Local Plan 2011-2031 was submitted for examination on 14 July 2017.
The decision and reasons not to publish or submit this evidence for examination are not currently known, as none of the officers involved in the last local plan are currently employed by Rugby Borough Council. This is now subject to an independent investigation by the council.
The Local Plan 2011-2031 was, however, subject to independent examination in public and was lawfully adopted by the council in June 2019. As set out in s113 Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 it is no longer open to any person aggrieved by the adoption of the Local Plan 2011-2031 to challenge the validity of that plan.
For transparency it is considered prudent to publish the previous landscape study. Accordingly, it is added to the evidence base library for the New Local Plan 2025-2042.
In relation to the new local plan it is necessary to have up-to-date evidence. This is also needed for the determination of planning applications. The South-West Rugby Landscape Sensitivity Study 2017, being almost ten years old, is not considered to be up to date evidence. The context at South West Rugby has also changed considerably since the preparation of the 2017 study by reason of construction of the Symmetry Park employment development together with housing south of Coventry Road. For these reasons, it is necessary to produce up-to-date landscape sensitivity evidence.
Accordingly, The Area of South West Rugby Landscape Sensitivity Assessment (January 2026) produced by consultants Node is now also published as part of the evidence base. That study provides up to date evidence applying current Landscape Institute and Natural England guidance and will comprise the principal landscape sensitivity evidence for South West Rugby that the council will refer to in the local plan examination and the determination of planning applications.