Planning Policy - Local Plan

Introduction

Adopted Local Plan July 2006

Local Development Framework

Consultations

Herne Bay Area Action Plan

Supplementary planning guidance

To contact the Planning Policy Team call

01227 862 199 or
email planningpolicy@canterbury.gov.uk

NEWS.....

HERNE BAY AREA ACTION PLAN

The City Council has recently consulted on the proposed submission Area Action Plan (Thursday 19th March until 5pm 1st May 2009). The consultation has now closed, 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. Following approval for consultation as SPD by the Executive committee of the council, a six week statutory period of consultation begins Tuesday 30th April 2009 until Friday 12th June 2009. 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 in mid 2009. 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 (24th January to 5pm 7th 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 Kent and Medway Structure Plan 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 14th July 2006 and covers the period up until 2011. Together with the Kent and Medway Structure Plan 2006, the strategic policy development plan for Kent County, the Canterbury District Local Plan First Review is the Development Plan for Canterbury District.