Local Development Framework (LDF)

A set of documents that sets out a) the Council’s policies relating to the development of land, and b) the various requirements they must meet in preparing and monitoring those policies. The Local Development Framework is a new requirement for Councils and will replace the Local Plan. The documents making up the Local Development Framework include:

  1. Development Plan Documents:
    • The Core Strategy (which is required)
    • The Site Specific Allocations document (also required)
    • Area Action Plans (optional)
    • The Adopted Proposals Map (required)
    • Other Development Plan Documents (optional) e.g. Development Control Policies.
  2. any Supplementary Planning Documents (optional).
  3. the following:
    • the Statement of Community Involvement (required)
    • the Local Development Scheme (required)
    • the Annual Monitoring Report (required)
    • any Local Development Orders or Simplified Planning Zones that may have been added (optional).

The Local Development Framework has to be consistent with a range of other plans and policies, including the Regional Spatial Strategy, the Regional Economic Strategy, the Community Strategy (for both the county and District), the Local Transport Plan, and the Council’s and County Council’s strategies for environment protection, biodiversity, recycling, urban and rural regeneration, economic development, housing, community development, social inclusion, education and health. For development concerned with minerals and waste there is a separate Minerals and Waste Development Framework, produced by the County Council or (where there is one) the Unitary Authority.