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Local Development Framework

Legislation has been passed to merge the County, Borough and District councils in Shropshire to form a single Unitary Council. The new Council will start work on 1st April 2009. In the meantime, an Implementation Executive (IE) has been established to take key decisions. At its first formal meeting on Friday 29th February, IE set up three sub-committees including one devoted to taking forward work on the Local Development Framework (LDF). Meetings of both the IE and the LDF sub-committee are open to members of the public and representatives from the media and their agendas and minutes will be publicised on all the Councils' websites.

The County, Borough and District Councils have agreed to develop a single Core Strategy for the new Unitary Council area. On 9th April the IE approved a draft joint Local Development Scheme (LDS) which sets out the timetable for the joint LDF. The LDF will replace the current Local Plans for all the Districts in Shropshire and the County Council's Waste Local Plan. If you would like to know more about the LDF visit the Shropshire County Council website.

In the period before 1st April 2009 each of Shropshire's District and Borough Councils will continue to take decisions on planning applications in their individual areas whilst the County Council will continue to take decisions on County matters and minerals and waste applications. In making these decisions on planning applications, each Council will continue to apply their own adopted 'saved' Local Plan policies to their individual areas. If you have a planning enquiry in the period before 1st April 2009 you should continue to contact the planning department at your Local Council.

Shropshire Local Development Framework Topic Papers - Have Your Say

As part of the move to the new unitary council for Shropshire, the county's existing local authorities have started working together on a new Shropshire wide Local Development Framework (LDF). The first document to be prepared for the new LDF will be the Core Strategy, which will set the strategic policy framework for new development in the county over the next 15 to 20 years. As part of the early development of the Core Strategy we have prepared a series of Topic Papers on a range of important planning issues.

View and have your say on the Topic Papers.

The New Development Plan System

Through the Planning and Compulsory Act 2004 the Government has introduced a new system of development planning.

The Act, which came into effect on the 28th September 2004, will see Structure and Local Plans progressively replaced with a new system that involves the preparation of a series of Local Development Documents contained within an overall Local Development Framework (LDF). These documents will set out the spatial strategy, policies and guidance for the District.

More information on the new development system can be found on the Department of Communities & Local Government website.

A key feature of the new system is the involvement of the community in plan making. One of the first documents the Council produced was the Statement of Community Involvement (SCI). This outlines how the community and stakeholders will be involved in the preparation of LDDs and also in the consideration of major planning applications.

The Local Development Scheme (LDS) sets out the documents that will be included in the Local Development Framework.

The LDS in particular:

• Explains what Local Development Documents (LDDs) are to be produced
• The subject matter and geographical area of the LDDs
• The timetable for the preparation of the LDDs

It also explains the different status of the documents and the arrangements that are in place to enable the transition from the old system of Structure and Local Plans to the new LDF system.

Although the most recent version of the Local Development Scheme for Bridgnorth District may be downloaded by following the link below, it no longer has much relevance because work has now stopped on preparing a separate Local Development Framework for the District. A new Local Development Scheme will be prepared for the Shropshire unitary council.

Download the most recent version of the Bridgnorth LDS.

Previous LDS

1st LDS - March 2005.

2nd LDS - June 2006.

Annual Monitoring Report (AMR)

The Council must produce each year an Annual Monitoring Report which sets out progress in the preparation of local development documents against the timescales and milestones set out in the LDS and how the policies contained within the Local Plan or development plan documents are performing.

Development Plan Documents (DPD)

Core Strategy DPD - Issues and Options Report

The Core Strategy will be one of the key documents produced as part of the Local Development Framework. It will set the direction for development over the next 10 to 20 years and will be the starting point for the determination of planning applications.

Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD)

Two Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD) have been prepared. 

Affordable Housing SPD

The Affordable Housing SPD provides guidance on the implementation of Policy H10 (provision on housing sites) and Policy H11 (rural exception sites) of the adopted Bridgnorth District Local Plan.

Other Planning Guidance

Adopting Parish Plans as Supplementary Planning Documents

Bridgnorth District Council has provided a Planning Guidance Note for groups producing Parish Plans and Village Design Statements that wish to see them formally adopted by the District Council upon completion.

Village Design Statements

Available to download is a Planning Guidance Note containing information on producing Village Design Statements.

Planning Guidance Note: Village Design Statements

Open Space Interim Planning Guidance (IPG)

Open Space Interim Planning Guidance was formally adopted on 20th June 2007.

Read further information on (IPG)

Background Studies

As part of the evidence gathering stage to inform the preparation of the LDF a number of studies will be undertaken including a town centre and retailing study and urban capacity study.

Keep up to Date

To ensure you keep up to date with LDF consultations, register your contact details with us.

You can either e-mail us at devpol@bridgnorth-dc.gov.uk or ring us on 01746 713245 giving your name, organisation/group (if applicable), address, postcode and e-mail address.

Find Out More

If you would like to find out more about the LDF process please contact the council's Local Plans & Regeneration section:

E-mail: devpol@bridgnorth-dc.gov.uk

Telephone: 01746 713245

Write to: Local Plans & Regeneration
             Bridgnorth District Council
             Westgate
             Bridgnorth
             Shropshire
             WV16 5AA

The West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy

The West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy (WMRSS) provides a long term land use and transport planning framework for the West Midlands Region and guides the preparation of local authority development plans and local transport plans.