Development plans focus on land use development and protection set within the context of wider social, economic and environmental trends and considerations. Reflecting national and regional planning policies, development plans make strategic provision for the long-term use of land and buildings, providing a framework for local decision making and the reconciliation of competing development and conservation interests.
They aim to ensure that land use changes proceed coherently, efficiently, and with maximum community benefit. Development Plans indicate clearly how local residents, landowners, and other interested parties might be affected by land use change. They are subject to regular periods of intensive public consultation, involvement and negotiation.
Decisions on planning applications are made in accordance with the adopted Development Plan unless other material considerations, relating to land use development, indicate otherwise.
Northumberland County and National Park Joint Structure Plan
In Northumberland the Structure Plan prepared by the County Council, sets out the principles for development in the county as a whole. This identifies such matters as the amount of housing and employment land which should be provided. The Northumberland County and National Park Joint Structure Plan First Alteration was adopted in February 2005.
Planning Policy Statement 12: Local Development Frameworks (2004) sets out the Government's policy on the preparation of local development documents which will comprise the Local Development Framework (LDF). LDFs are to replace adopted Local Plans and new revisions to the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) published by the Secretary of State will replace existing Structure Plans in whole or part.
During the transitional process, adopted Structure Plans will retain development plan status and will automatically become saved policies for a period of three years from the commencement of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act (2004) to September 2007. Therefore, for Northumberland County Council only the policies that were unaltered and carried forward from the 1996 Structure Plan ceased to have effect from September 2007 unless otherwise directed by the Secretary of State.
In addition, where the Structure Plan was undergoing an alteration or replacement and had reached the statutory deposit stage by the commencement of the 2004 Act the proposals were allowed to continue to adoption. Once adopted, altered or replaced policies would be saved for three years. The implication for Northumberland County and National Park Joint Structure Plan is that policies altered or replaced by the First Alteration were saved automatically for a three year period until 2nd February 2008, unless otherwise directed by the Secretary of State; the development plan therefore ceased to have effect after the date.
Following discussions with Northumberland County Council, three unaltered policies from the Northumberland County and National Park Joint Structure Plan (adopted 1996) were put forward by the North East Assembly to be saved from September 2007. The Direction from the Secretary of State was granted on 31st August 2007 and was operational from 27th September 2007.
Those policies contained within the original Northumberland Structure Plan (1996) which have not been altered by the First Alteration to the Northumberland Joint Structure Plan (February 2005), and are not listed within the Direction, expired on 27 September 2007. To reflect this situation, the County Council produced an updated written statement - Northumberland County Council & National Park Joint Structure Plan, Schedule of Adopted Policies, September 2007. This can be viewed by clicking on the relevant link on the right handside of the page.
Sixteen amended, original or new policies contained within the First Alteration to the Northumberland Joint Structure Plan (February 2005) has now been subject to a second Direction. This Direction was issued on 11th December 2007 and is operational from the 2nd February 2008 when those policies not listed in the second Direction will expire. The above written statement has been up dated accordingly - Northumberland County Council and National Park Joint Structure Plan, Schedule of Adopted Policies, February 2008. This can be viewed by clicking on the relevant link on the right handside of the page.
Local Development Frameworks
Local Plans transfer the principles set out in the strategic level plan into detailed land use allocations and specific policies and proposals. Each District Council and the National Park Authority have adopted local plans. Under the 2004 Act, local plans are to be replaced by local development frameworks. Most local planning authorities are now preparing local development documents that will collectively form their local development frameworks.
In addition the County Council, as the Minerals and Waste planning authority is preparing a Minerals and Waste LDF which identifies areas for future mineral extraction (including opencast coal) and waste management, and sets strict environmental criteria which future development must follow.
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