All local planning authorities have a statutory planning framework, known as a Local Plan, to guide development and achieve sustainable development. Councils have a duty to maintain an up-to-date plan. National policy states that policies in local plans and spatial development strategies, should be reviewed to assess whether they need updating at least once every five years, and should then be updated as necessary.
This Issues and Options (Regulation 18) consultation document is the first formal stage in producing a new Local Plan, in line with the Local Planning regulations 2012 (as amended), and is seeking views on whether the right issues have been identified and which options are the best for addressing them.
