Development Plan
Encyclopedia
A development plan is an aspect of town and country planning in the United Kingdom
Town and country planning in the United Kingdom
Town and Country Planning is the land use planning system governments use to balance economic development and environmental quality. Each country of the United Kingdom has its own planning system that is responsible for town and country planning devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly, the...

 comprising a set of documents that set out the local authority's policies and proposals for the development and use of land in their area. The development plan guides and informs day-to-day decisions as to whether or not planning permission
Planning permission
Planning permission or planning consent is the permission required in the United Kingdom in order to be allowed to build on land, or change the use of land or buildings. Within the UK the occupier of any land or building will need title to that land or building , but will also need "planning...

 should be granted, under the system known as development control. In order to ensure that these decisions are rational and consistent, they must be considered against the development plan adopted by the authority, after public consultation and having proper regard for other material factors.

Legislation (Section 54A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990
Town and Country Planning Act 1990
The Town and Country Planning Act 1990 is an act of the British Parliament regulating the development of land in England and Wales-Section 1:...

) requires that decisions made should be in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Although development plans do not have to be rigidly adhered to, they provide a firm basis for rational and consistent planning decisions.

Context

The development plan may contain a number of documents:
Counties
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...

 and most non-metropolitan unitary districts
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...

 are covered by structure plans (in which the county, national park or unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...

 set out key strategic policies as a framework for local planning) and local plans (in which district councils
Local government in the United Kingdom
The pattern of local government in England is complex, with the distribution of functions varying according to the local arrangements. Legislation concerning local government in England is decided by the Parliament and Government of the United Kingdom, because England does not have a devolved...

 and national park authorities
National Park Authority
A national park authority is a special term used in the United Kingdom for the legal body in charge of a national park. The powers and duties of the authorities are all similar, but do vary somewhat depending on the country in which they are situated....

 set out more detailed policies to guide development in their areas, including proposals for specific sites). Structure plans may in some cases be prepared on a joint basis between two or more authorities (e.g. a county and a unitary authority or a national park).

County, national park and some unitary authorities also prepare minerals and waste local plans are also deemed to be local plans.

In London and the metropolitan areas, and in a few non-metropolitan unitary areas, authorities produce unitary development plan
Unitary Development Plan
In United Kingdom planning law, a unitary development plan is an old-style development plan prepared by a metropolitan district and some unitary local authorities that contains policies equivalent to those in both a structure plan and a local plan...

s (UDPs), which combine the functions of structure and local plans and include minerals and waste policies.

Local plans and UDPs identify particular areas as suitable for housing, industry, retail or other uses, and set out the policies which the authority proposes to apply in deciding whether or not development will be permitted. The preparation of Local Plans and UDPs gives the community the opportunity to influence the detailed policies and specific proposals for the future development and use of land in their area. Because the plan forms the statutory basis for planning decisions, local people are involved in its preparation.

Current practice

The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004
Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004
The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was promoted by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister...

 has introduced a number of additional documents that will eventually supersede those mentioned above.
These include:
  • Development plan document
    Development Plan Document
    A local development framework must include development plan documents , which outline the key development goals of the local development framework...

    s
  • Regional Spatial Strategy
    Regional Spatial Strategy
    Regional spatial strategies provided regional level planning frameworks for the regions of England outside London. They were introduced in 2004...

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