Local Plan preparation

Introduction

Local Plans are documents that will guide how and where development takes place in Somerset. Local plans will form the development plan for your area, together with Neighbourhood Plans prepared by parish or town councils or Neighbourhood Forums. Local Plans set out the vision for the area, identify the overall scale and nature of change and include site allocations.

Neighbourhood Plans will need to be consistent with the Local Plans produced by the local planning authorities in Somerset. The local planning authorities are Mendip District Council, Sedgemoor District Council, South Somerset District Council, and Somerset West and Taunton Council.

What we do

The County Council, as the statutory minerals and waste planning authority, is responsible for the specialist minerals and waste local plans.

Other local plans are prepared by district councils for their areas and cover a wider range of topics such as housing, employment, transport and provision of community facilities. For more information about local plans, please visit the planning policy sections of the district council websites.

Please note that the term ‘Local Plan’ has been re-introduced through the Localism Act 2011. Formerly, a Local Development Framework (LDF) was to be prepared by local authorities including Core Strategies and other development plan documents such as site allocation documents. Some of these have been recently adopted by Somerset district councils under the old terminology given transitional arrangements.

Until Regional Spatial Strategies and Structure Plans were revoked, local plans had to conform with the adopted regional spatial strategy and the structure plan for the area.

Neighbourhood Development Plan Preparation

Although they will be unable to propose less growth than that outlined in the Local Plans, they will be able to propose higher growth. If this is approved by referendum, the higher level will be incorporated into the Local Plan.

Because the Plan will become part of the Development Plan, it must be prepared following a formal process. This process involves