In September 2004 the government introduced a new planning system under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act of 2004. As a result, Local Plans and Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) will be replaced with a new collection of documents to form the Local Development Framework (LDF). These collections of documents, known as 'Local Development Documents' (LDDs), will include:
Development plan documents (DPDs)
These will be statutory and will include:
- Core strategy DPD - setting out the long-term spatial vision for the area and the policies needed to deliver this vision
- Site allocations DPD - identifying the sites which are proposed for development
- Proposals Maps DPD - illustrating all the policies in the DPDs. It will be updated each time a new DPD is adopted or amended
- Area action plan DPDs. The legislation allows detailed plans for areas where significant change or conservation is proposed
Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs)
These will be non-statutory and will include design guides and development briefs for key sites. SPDs expand on the statutory policies.
Project management documents
These set out when and how we will prepare Local Development Documents and review progress:
- Local Development Scheme (LDS) - the programme for putting together the LDD documents
- Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) - details how the public can influence and comment on planning applications and documents being prepared in the Local Development Framework
- Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) - reports on progress of the Local Development Framework and monitors the impact of planning policies
- Sustainability Appraisals (SA) - each document has to be assessed to make sure it will contribute to sustainable development