Allocations DPD
1. Background and Context
How much land is needed?
The Allocations DPD will need to ensure it has identified sufficient land:
- To allow at least 35,500 new homes to be built by 2030
- For the provision of 46 pitches for travellers and 45 plots for travelling show people
- To allow businesses and industry to grow - 135ha of employment land is required
- For new community facilities and infrastructure projects
The Allocations DPD will also identify a network or greenspaces which will be protected and where appropriate enhanced to include:
- Sports pitches and playing fields
- Village greenspace
- Allotment
- Informal greenspaces
The Allocations DPD will also review the boundaries of employment zones, carry out a green belt review and define boundaries for the town centres, district and local centres identified in the Core Strategy.
What is the process in preparing the Plan?
Allocation DPDs content must accord with the Government's National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the process and stages must follow the Planning Acts and Regulations set down by Parliament. In undertaking this, the Council has to gather evidence and information and carry out appropriate consultation to ensure that its proposals are sound - this means that the choices of which sites are allocated and which land is protected are deliverable, are the most sustainable options amongst all reasonable alternatives, and are supported by robust evidence.
In carrying out this out, there are a number of stages which must be followed:
- Issues and Options Consultation - carried out to ensure that all current reasonable options are covered. Following consultation evidence will be gathered, technical appraisals of sites carried out, and alternatives compared.
- Preliminary Draft Plan - the Council will publish and consult on its preliminary preferred options on a settlement by settlement basis and options initially discounted.
- Publication Draft Plan - The Council will publish a full draft plan and undertake further consultation.
- Submission Stage - the Council submits it's Plan to the Planning Inspectorate for examination.
- Examination In Public - A Planning Inspector will be appointed by the Government to scrutinise the plan, listen to alternative viewpoints in a series of public hearings, and determine whether the plan is sound.
- Adoption of the Plan - This will occur after receipt of the Inspectors report.