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A local development framework is the spatial planning strategy introduced in England and Wales by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and given detail in Planning Policy Statements 12. In most parts of the two countries, maintaining the framework is the responsibility of English district councils and Welsh principal area councils.
Contents
Background
Planning Policy Statement 12: Creating Strong Safe and Prosperous Communities through Local Spatial Planning (commonly abbreviated as PPS 12), is a document produced by the British Government that sets out the Government's policy on the preparation of local development documents which will comprise the local development framework. The current version was introduced in June 2008 and replaces the original PPS 12: Local Development Frameworks which was produced in 2004.
The local development framework replaces the previous system of county level structure plans and district level local plans, and unitary development plans for unitary authorities.
The previous system was perceived as being too inflexible and difficult to change in a timely manner. The local development framework system is intended to improve this situation by replacing the old plans with a new portfolio of local development documents that can be tailored to suit the different needs of a particular area and can be easily updated.
The frameworks were prepared within a regional spatial strategy (RSS) prepared for each region by the Secretary of State (specifically the Deputy Prime Minister). Local development frameworks were required to have regard to the RSS until they were abolished in 2010.
Composition
Each framework will be a folder containing a number of inter-related documents:
Compulsory documents
Optional documents
Key Government Aims
- Flexibility
- Strengthening community and stakeholder involvement
- Front-loading sometimes - local authorities to take key decisions early in the preparation of local development documents.
- Sustainability appraisal
- Programme management
- Soundness - local development documents must be soundly based in terms of their content and the process by which they are produced. The must also be based upon a robust, credible evidence base.
Relation
The local development framework, together with the regional spatial strategy will provide the essential framework for planning in the local authority's area.
Development plan documents
Local development documents are a set of documents specified in United Kingdom planning law which a local planning authority creates to describe their strategy for development and use of land in their area of authority.
Established as part of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 in United Kingdom law, a local planning authority must include as local development documents in their local development schemes.
The local development documents taken as a whole must set out the authority's policies relating to the development and use of land in their area. In the case of LDDs included in a minerals and waste development scheme, the LDDs together must also set out the authority's policies relating to minerals and waste development.
The Secretary of State may prescribe the form and content of LDDs and which descriptions of those documents are development plan documents (which are to be subject to the process of independent examination and which will form part of the authority's development plan). Development plan documents taken together are broadly equivalent to the old-style local plans.
Compulsory development plan documents
Optional development plan documents
Sometimes certain policies from an old document remain effective when that document is superseded. These policies are known as "saved" policies.
Legal requirements of all local development documents
They should be prepared in accordance with the local development scheme and should have regard to [1]:-
Development plan documents are subject to rigorous procedures of community involvement, consultation and independent examination. Once adopted, development control decisions must be made in accordance with the DPDs unless material considerations indicate otherwise.
DPDs must be examined with a sustainability appraisal to ensure economic, environmental and social effects of the plan are in line with sustainable development targets.
Criticism
In practice, many local authorities have found Local Development Frameworks difficult to implement. Although progress on Local Development Frameworks was made in the years 2012-2015, an assessment by Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners has found any progress to be "marginal".