Planning Policy - Local Plan

Introduction

Adopted Local Plan July 2006

Local Development Framework & Core Strategy

Consultations

Herne Bay Area Action Plan

Supplementary planning guidance

Planning Policy Team call 01227 862 199 or email planningpolicy@canterbury.gov.uk

The Core Strategy consultation

Shaping our future logo

Comments received during the City Council’s Local Development Framework Core Strategy public consultation have now been published.

They are available to view here and a summary schedule (PDF 12 mb) of the comments and comments on the Sustainability Appraisal (PDF 618 kb) have also been prepared. Paper copies of the comments and schedule can also be viewed at the Canterbury and Herne Bay District Offices and Whitstable Library. The ‘Schedule of Comments Received’ contains a summary of the comments received. This does not represent a complete account of the comment, but seeks to simply give a guide to its content. Copies of letters should be viewed for full comment details.

More than 3,000 comments, covering a number of separate topics in the Core Strategy, were received, so it has taken the council some time to log the comments. The new government recently revoked the South East Plan, on which many elements of the Core Strategy were based. It means that from now on, the council will probably be responsible for deciding on housing numbers and employment land needs for the Canterbury district.

The government is also proposing further changes to the way the planning system works as part of the ‘localism’ agenda.However, these are unlikely to go through Parliament before the end of the year, so it will be some time before the council knows how the planning system will operate in the future. Until this is clear, the council will not take the Core Strategy forward.The comments that have been submitted will therefore be considered by councillors in due course, once the future of the planning system is known, before any further consultation takes place.

Local Plan Saved Policies

When the Canterbury District Local Plan was adopted on 13 July 2006, the policies were automatically "saved" for a three year period. The Council has now received a direction letter from the Secretary of State in respect of Local Plan policies to be extended beyond 13 July 2009. Because the Local Plan is relatively recent, most of the Local Plan policies have been extended until such time as they are withdrawn, or replaced by policies in the Local Development Framework. For ease of reference, the Council has also prepared a list of the Local Plan policies to be deleted. The Council's Local Plan web-site, http://www.cartogold.co.uk/canterbury/ has been updated and the changes are available.

Herne Bay Area Action Plan

The examination into the Area Action Plan has now closed. The Inspector's Report is expected to be published by the end of January 2010. Please visit the Connecting Herne Bay website for more information.

Reculver Masterplan

The draft Reculver Masterplan Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) has been developed to provide a coordinated basis for implementing policy R13 of the Local Plan, which encourages enhancement of the attraction of Reculver subject to design, visual, and environmental impacts and suitable access arrangements. The draft SPD, Sustainability Appraisal, and other supporting documents can all be found on the above link. For more information, please email countryside@canterbury.gov.uk or call 01227 862 190

Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment

The City Council has begun work on the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA). The Government requires local planning authorities to undertake a SHLAA to inform the evidence base for the Local Development Framework (LDF) Core Strategy and to support the delivery of sufficient land for housing to meet the needs of the District. Communities for Local Government (CLG) has produced guidance for undertaking a Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment. Copies of the government guidance on SHLAA can be found at:http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/landavailabilityassessment

The City Council has invited all developers and land owners to submit sites for consideration, that in their opinion have the potential for housing development. Sites must be able to accommodate 5 or more units or 0.15 hectares of land (0.4acres). This can be either in its entirety or as part of a mixed use development. The invitation to submit sites has now CLOSED as of 30/09/08.

Kent County Council, Medway Council and the other Kent local authorities have jointly produced a Protocol for Kent and Medway September 2008 based on the CLG guidance. This guidance has been agreed with the Government Office for the South East (GOSE). The City Council will be using this guidance to assess the suitability, availability and deliverability of sites and it is envisaged that all the sites will be assessed by early Summer 2009.

Please note that although all proposals will be considered, suggesting a site at this first stage does not guarantee that the land will be included for housing development in the final analysis, or that planning permission will automatically be granted.

There will be a further opportunity to submit sites during the consultation on the core strategy options document by 12 March 2010. Further information on the sites received so far isnow available. If you wish to be kept informed on the LDF process please register your details online at http://canterbury-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal, then click on register on the login screen on the left hand side. Alternatively contact the planning policy team.

Limehouse Publisher

The City Council has launched its new online system for the Local Development Framework (LDF) and other planning policy documents called Limehouse Publisher,

http://canterbury-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal .This system will permit the online submission of comments during public consultations on, and viewing of, Development Plan and Local Development Documents (DPDs and LDDs). Key benefits of making representations online include:

Update personal details instantly, such as change of address or email.
Specify preference - how any future contact should be made regarding
document updates or mailshots.
Save time - view documents/representations online.
Optional instant updates of new drafts available for consultation.
Environmental - electronic systems save paper.
Ability to view other consultees' representations once they have
been processed by the council.
Search - to view other representations on different items within
a particular document.

This will enable you to be kept up to date on the progress of the LDF via your preferred means of contact - email or letter. For further information contact the Planning Policy team on 01227 862199 or by email .

Recent Online Consultations

The City Council recently consulted (24 January to 5pm 7 March 2007) on the draft Wincheap Development Brief and the Connecting Herne Bay Area Action Plan Preferred Options Document, using this system.

http://canterbury-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal

Planning Policy

The Planning Policy Team is part of the Regeneration and Economic Development Division. One of the major responsibilities of the Planning Policy Team is to review the Canterbury District Local Plan and to prepare a Local Development Framework for the district.

The Planning Policy Team works on a wide range of other issues including the provision of statistical data and preparation of development briefs.

The team also monitors residential, industrial, office and retail developments to ensure that sufficient land is available to fulfil the provisions of the South East Plan 2009 and to help in reviewing planning policies.

Policy advice and other information is regularly provided to the Development Control Section in order to assist in its assessment of planning applications and in preparing evidence for appeals. Policy advice, statistical and economic data and other information is also provided to other City Council departments as well as the general public.

Development briefs are prepared by the Regeneration and Economic Development Division to enable developers, the public and other interested parties to be aware of City Council policies during the plan preparation stage of major developments, and to assist in the decision making process.

The team works closely with the public through statutory consultations; liaison with parish councils; the presentation of exhibitions; attendance at public meetings; provision of a wide range of information and statistics; plus liaison with schools and colleges on educational projects.

What is the Canterbury District Local Plan First Review?

The Local Plan sets out a spatial strategy and vision for the Canterbury District.It consists of a written statement containing policies and associated text, and accompanying proposals maps.The Local Plan shows how future development and land uses will be guided and controlled and it is a principal consideration in the development control process.The current Local Plan was adopted on 14 July 2006 and covers the period up until 2011. Together with the South East Plan 2009, the strategic policy development plan for Kent County, the Canterbury District Local Plan First Review is the Development Plan for Canterbury District.