Part 13: General Schedule 7: Plan making Section 15AD: Adoption of strategy Effect
A joint SDS is not permitted to be adopted until all representations made in response to the consultation exercise have been considered, the report from the examination in public has been received, and any directions given by the Secretary of State have been complied with. The Secretary of State is able to give directions requiring the modification of the joint SDS to secure consistency with national policies or if they feel that the joint SDS would be detrimental to any areas outside the joint strategy area. Subsection (1) sets out that each of the participating authorities may adopt the joint SDS individually as there is no overarching organisation which can do this on behalf of all the participating authorities.
	Subsections (2) - (4) set out the form which a joint SDS must be in when adopted and that a joint SDS can only be adopted once all representations made during consultation (or if no representations were received, at the expiry of a period to be prescribed in regulations) and the examiners report have been taken into account.
	Subsection (5) provides that a joint SDS cannot be adopted by an authority where a joint SDS is already operative in relation to their area.
	Subsections (6), (7) and (8) set out the role of the Secretary of State with regard to the adoption of a joint SDS. The Secretary of State’s role is limited to any matters which involve inconsistencies with national policy or where the joint SDS may be detrimental to areas outside of the joint strategy area. The Secretary of State’s role enables him/her to exercise powers in these respects, rather than requires him/her to exercise powers in these respects. Where the Secretary of State gives a direction under subsection (7), the joint SDS may not be adopted unless the participating authorities have complied with the direction or it has been withdrawn.
	Subsection (9) sets out that a joint SDS becomes operative on a date after all the participating authorities have adopted the joint SDS.
	Subsection (10) states that the "prescribed period" may be set in regulations.