Local Development Framework

 The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 made major changes to our Development Plan system. The changes included removing district-wide local plans and replacing them with Local Development Documents (LDDs). Together, the LDDs will make the Local Development Framework (LDF) for the district authority area of Swale. There are different types of LDD, described below.

Documents

Development Plan Documents (DPDs)

DPDs either make guidance to decide planning applications or they allocate areas or sites for certain types of development. DPDs need to be sent to the Secretary of State for independent examination in public. Government guidance is that the following DPDs should be produced:

• A Core Strategy for the local authority area (mandatory)
• Those that present site specific allocations (mandatory)
• A Proposals Map (mandatory)
• Area Action Plans (optional)
• Other DPDs considered appropriate by the local authority (optional)

The DPDs we produce form part of the statutory Development Plan for Swale.

Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs)

SPDs will replace the older Supplementary Planning Guidance. SPDs do not need to be sent for independent examination. They will give more detail on how key policies or allocations in Development Plan Documents will be carried out and can be about specific Masterplans or topics.

Local Development Scheme (LDS)

The Local Development Scheme sets out when the documents which make up our Local Development Framework need to be completed and what their priority is. The second revision to the scheme was approved by the Secretary of State on 12 November 2010. Our Local Development Scheme was reviewed and updated during spring 2012.

The Local Development Scheme must identify:

• The LDDs to be prepared and the timetable for their preparation and/or review;
• Those LDDs that will make up Development Plan Documents (SPDs do not have to be shown but are included for information only).
  

Statement of Community Involvement (SCI)

The SCI is a statement about our policy on the involvement of people who have an interest in matters relating to development in their area, relating to creating LDDs and considering major development schemes. We adopted a Statement of Community Involvement in 2008.

Our LDF 

A full list of Local Development Documents adopted, proposed or in production at November 2010 are set out in the Local Development Scheme. The main documents are:

Under preparation

• Swale Borough Core Strategy DPD
• Neighbourhood Plan for Faversham Creekside 

Adopted

• Conservation Area Review SPDs (January 2012)
  

• Landscape Character and Biodiversity Appraisal SPD (September 2011)
• Stones Farm Development Brief SPD (May 2011)
• Queenborough and Rushenden Masterplan SPD (November 2010)
• Sittingbourne Town Centre and Milton Creek Masterplan SPD (September 2010)
• Developer Contributions SPD (November 2009)
• Statement of Community Involvement (September 2008)
• Kent Design SPD (2008)
• Swale Borough Local Plan 2008 (February 2008)

The Evidence Base

To inform the Local Development Framework, evidence is being gathered. As it is completed, details will be made available in the LDF Evidence Base.

Topic Papers

Topic Papers set out a starting point for information that will inform the Local Development Framework. View the LDF Topic Papers.

Public Consultations

There are no current consultations. Our most recent consultations were:

1. Draft Core Strategy: Bearing Fruits (March 2012)
   Find out more about our draft Core Strategy
2. Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (March 2012)
   Find out more about our SHLAA
3. Sustainability Assessment / Strategic Environmental Assessment
   Find out more about our SA / SEA  (March 2012)

More Information

If you would like any more advice and information about our LDF, please contact the planning team.