Local Development Framework
The Local Development Framework (
LDF
) was introduced as a
result of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. The
Ashford Local Plan is
being superseded with a portfolio of local development documents,
which will collectively deliver the spatial planning strategy for
the Borough.
The local development documents include Development Plan
Documents (
DPD
s)
that are geographical or issue specific, and Supplementary Planning
Documents (
SPD
s) that detail core
policy issues included in the
DPD
s, so they can be interpreted
and implemented. Both types of document can be prepared and updated
separately and are subject to rigorous procedures of community
involvement.
The LDF
is sometimes referred to as a 'spatial' plan because it considers
and brings together land use implications of other strategies and
programmes such as the Community Strategy in areas such as
transport, health, education, waste and social inclusion. The new
planning system was introduced to speed up plan preparation,
enhance community involvement in planning, strengthen policy
content, and achieve a better focus on implementation.
All policies and proposals contained within the
DPD
s must be appraised to ensure
they contribute to the aims of Sustainable Development. A document
called a Sustainability Appraisal / Strategic Environmental
Assessment (SA/SEA) sets out the
results from these appraisals.
The Local Development Scheme and Timetable
The Local Development Scheme (
LDS
) is the starting point
for anyone wanting to find out about planning policies in respect
to a particular place or issue, the status of those policies, and
at what stage the public and stakeholders can get involved in the
plan making process. The LDS sets out a three-year
project plan for documents that Ashford Borough Council will
produce as part of the Local Development Framework.
Each local development document is profiled within the Scheme,
explaining the purpose of the document, its status, and how each
local development document relates to the
LDF
as a whole. The
LDS
will be reviewed
on an annual basis by the Annual Monitoring Report, to enable any
adjustments to be made, for example, if timings need to be
changed to reflect changes in circumstances or to include any
additional Supplementary Planning Guidance.
The
LDS
was
approved by Members in July 2008 and was approved
by the Government Office for the South East and the Planning
Inspectorate. However, the scheme is currently being reviewed.
Current LDF Document Timetables (Dec 2009)
The latest AMR published in December 2009 gives an update of the
current position and the future schedule of all of the documents
within the Scheme.
Further Information
Further information about the new planning system and regional
and planning guidance can be found at the Communities and Local Government
website or on the Planning Portal
website.
Who to Contact
For more information, please contact the Local Development
Framework Team (Planning Policy) on 01233 330229 or email the Planning Policy
Team.