West Lancashire District Council Local Development Scheme DRAFT March 2006 Contents 1 Introduction 2 Background 3 Replacement Local Plan 4 Local Development Framework 5 Evidence Base 6 Saved Policies 7 Resources 8 Risk Assessment Appendix 1 - West Lancashire Local Plan (1999) – Schedule of Saved Policies Appendix 2 - West Lancashire Replacement Local Plan (Re-Deposit Draft) -Schedule of Saved Policies West Lancashire Local Development Scheme 2006 Page 2 1 Introduction 1.1 The Local Development Scheme (LDS) is a project plan for the production of the Replacement Local Plan for West Lancashire and the subsequent Local Development Framework (LDF). The production of an LDS is now a requirement on Local Planning Authorities arising from the introduction of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. Furthermore the Council’s adherence to the timescales it has set itself within the LDS will be used as a performance measure. 1.2 This Local Development Scheme therefore relates to the production of the replacement Local Plan under the transitional arrangements and provides a guide for the preparation of Local Development Documents that will form the LDF. This version of the Local Development Scheme updates that previously produced in March 2005. 1.3 Section 2 offers a background to why we have prepared an LDS and what the purpose of it is. 1.4 Section 3 deals with the emerging Replacement Local Plan for West Lancashire and identifies the timescales up to the adoption of the Plan. 1.5 Section 4 identifies the documents that we envisage will make up the Local Development Framework for West Lancashire and the likely timescales for preparing these. 1.6 Section 5 looks at the evidence base that will underpin the production of LDF documents. 1.7 Section 6 of this LDS identifies which policies we are “saving” under the three year allowance under the interim arrangements. 1.8 Section 7 demonstrates the resources available to the Planning Policy Section. 1.9 Finally Section 8 considers the risks that exist which could slow progress on the LDF and some of the mitigation measures which can be put in place. West Lancashire Local Development Scheme 2006 Page 3 2 Background 2.1 The LDS has four main purposes : • To inform people of how the Replacement Local Plan and following Local Development Framework will be prepared and the likely timescales involved • To establish work priorities and enable work programmes to be formed • To set a timescale for the review of such documents • To indicate which policies are “saved” under the interim arrangements. (‘saved policies’ are those that will continue to be used in determining planning applications) West Lancashire Local Development Scheme 2006 Page 4 3 Replacement Local Plan 3.1 The current adopted Local Plan (December 1999) will run out in 2006. The Council is therefore preparing a Replacement Local Plan which will supercede the current Local Plan.. 3.2 The Replacement Local Plan takes account of many of the changes arising from the new Planning legislation and is very much written in the style of a Local Development Framework. The policies in the Replacement Local Plan will be saved for a period of at least three years from adoption and will form the main planning policies in the District up until the middle of 2009, and possibly longer. 3.3 Table 3.1 overleaf illustrates the preparation schedule for the Replacement Local Plan from the approval of the Deposit Draft by the Council through to full adoption. Prior to this an extensive Issues and Options exercise was undertaken in late 2001 and early 2002. The results of this exercise were fed into the Deposit version. 3.4 Given that this Plan is being prepared under the transitional arrangements there are some changes to how it is prepared. The first of these changes is that the second Deposit had to be a Re-Deposit of the Plan, where the whole Plan was open to objection rather than just the changes. This is because there is no modifications stage. Furthermore the Inspector’s Report will be binding on the Authority. This will speed up the adoption of this Plan. West Lancashire Local Development Scheme 2006 Page 5 Table 3.1 Timetable for Production of Replacement Local Plan ‘03 2004 2005 2006 D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O Commencement of new Planning Act Adopted Local Plan Adopted Local Plan policies saved until Replacement Local Plan adopted (Dec 1999) Replacement Local Plan Cabinet/Council Approval of documents Deposit Period Re-Deposit Period Public Inquiry Receive Inspector’s Report Adopt Plan West Lancashire Local Development Scheme 2006 Page 6 4 Local Development Framework 4.1 The Local Development Framework (LDF), shown diagrammatically on page 9, is a portfolio of documents which provide the framework for delivering the spatial planning strategy for the area. 4.2 The portfolio of documents comprising the LDF is set out below: LDS (Local Development Scheme) 4.3 This document is the programme for the preparation of the LDF. The first LDS was submitted to the First Secretary of State for approval within 6 months of the commencement of the Act, including those authorities, such as West Lancashire, who are proceeding under the transitional arrangements. This version of the LDS updates the original submitted scheme to reflect the Council’s new priorities for production of LDF documents. LDDs (Local Development Documents) 4.4 These comprise • DPD (Development Plan Documents) - These will be spatial planning documents and will be subject to independent examination. They may form one document covering a range of policy areas or a number of individual documents. Individual DPDs will be able to be reviewed independently from other DPDs. The following list sets out various types of DPDs: Core Strategy – the long term spatial vision for the area, with strategic policies and proposals to deliver that vision. Broad locations for development may be set out in a key diagram. Site specific allocations and policies – allocations of sites for specific or mixed uses will be contained in DPDs. Policies will identify any specific requirements for individual proposals. AAP (Area Action Plans) – used to provide a planning framework for areas of change and areas of conservation. Generic Development Control Policies – a suite of criteria based policies which are required to ensure that all development within the area meets the vision and strategy set out in the Core Strategy. West Lancashire Local Development Scheme 2006 Page 7 Proposals Map – a separate DPD which should illustrate on an OS base all the policies and proposals contained in DPDs and saved policies. It must be revised as new DPDs are prepared and it should always reflect the up-to-date planning strategy for the area • SPD (Supplementary Planning Documents) – policy guidance which can be produced to supplement the policies and proposals in DPDs (similar to supplementary planning guidance (SPG) which was produced under the present system). • SCI (Statement of Community Involvement) – sets out how the community will be involved in the preparation, alteration and review of all LDDs and in significant development control decisions. SEA (Strategic Environmental Assessment) – this is a generic term used internationally to describe environmental assessment as applied to policies, plans and programmes. This will be required in addition to a sustainability appraisal, although the Government has now produced guidance setting out how the two appraisals can be combined. 4.5 Although the Council is still progressing towards the adoption of a Replacement Local Plan we are also starting to think about how we produce a Local Development Framework. Within three years of adopting the Replacement Local Plan we must have started to prepare Local Development Documents to replace the adopted Local Plan. These will form part of the Local Development Framework for West Lancashire. The Council will also have to prepare a Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) setting out how the Authority intends to involve the public and other organisations in the production of the various documents. 4.6 As set out above, the new Local Development Framework will be made up of a number of Local Development Documents. The Core Strategy and other Development Plan Documents will eventually replace the policies contained in the Replacement Local Plan whereas Supplementary Planning Documents will replace Supplementary Planning Guidance. 4.7 As the District Council is now closer to adopting the Replacement Local Plan, (expected to be adopted in June 2006), it is now clearer what will be the priorities for the replacement of the Local Plan. Initial work has already begun on the SCI prior to the adoption of the Replacement Local Plan. It is also the case that one of the first priorities once the Local Plan is adopted, will be the production of a Supplementary Planning Document for Skelmersdale Town Centre. 4.8 It was considered in the initial LDS (March 2005) that the production of a Core Strategy would not necessarily be the first priority and it was proposed to seek the Secretary of State’s approval to save the policies contained within the Replacement Local Plan for longer than three years. It was West Lancashire Local Development Scheme 2006 Page 8 acknowledged, however, that this situation could change should the review of the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) or new Planning Policy Statements (PPS’s) fundamentally alter the underlying strategy of the Replacement Local Plan and that this situation would be kept under review. 4.9 It is now considered that the Core Strategy will need to be brought forward to a fairly early stage in the process, and this is programmed into this LDS.