Local Development Plans
Local planning involves setting out plans for future development within the local area. The key documents produced are the Local Development Plans and the Minerals and Waste Development Plans. Explanations on these are given below.
Local Development Plans
Local planning authorities (mostly the councils) have to produce local development plans that set out how much development is intended to happen and where it will go and that the locations of these given on a Key diagram/map. These plans are written by local councils to reflect the local circumstances but also need to reflect the regional plan along with national policy and law.
Rather than having a single document setting out all policies you will find they are spread across a number of documents collectively called the Local Development Framework. The documents that make up the Local Development Framework can be found on each of the councils web sites under planning policy/local development frameworks (LDF'S). Links to the relevant web sites are given below. These plans are subject to public consultation as part of the planning process providing you with the opportunities to have your say.
If required the local council will help guide you through the documents to help you find the policies that are of interest to you. The teams in councils who deal with planning policy are usually called planning policy teams.
In National Parks, such as the New Forest, planning policies are set out in the National Park Management Plan.
Minerals and Waste Local Plans
There are special arrangements when it comes to planning for mineral extraction, particularly sand pits and gravel quarries, together with waste disposal facilities.
Through regional plans, central government set mineral production and waste management targets for local government. On the Island mineral and waste planning is the responsibility of the Isle of Wight Council. On the mainland this is the joint responsibility of Hampshire County Council, Southampton City Council, Portsmouth City Council and the New Forest National Park Authority. These plans may deal with importing and exporting minerals and wastes across county boundaries. These plans may also include setting targets for mineral production from dredging the seabed of the English Channel.
Influencing planning policies - What we do.
The planning policy process is the responsibility of our local authorities. The Trust engages at all stages of planning policy through our Senior Planning Officer. The Trust seeks to persuade and inform those writing policy. This may range from providing the scientific evidence needed to address issues of our changing coastline to giving advice on the most up to date interpretation of international obligations for wildlife.
If we feel that policies are unsound we will say so and if necessary take the matter to an independent inspector.
Influencing planning policies - What you can do
Local Development Plans are written by your local authority. Minerals and waste plans for Hampshire are written by the County Council, Unitary authorities (Southampton and Portsmouth and National Park Authority. Minerals and Waste plans for the Isle of Wight are written by the Isle of Wight Council. These plans are subject to public consultation as part of the planning process providing you with the opportunities to have your say.
You can contribute to the debates by responding to public consultations and by talking to local Authority members and their officers. There are many individuals and organisations making representations during the development of local policies.
Each local Authority sets about consulting people in their own way and produces a document called a ‘Statement of Community Involvement'. This will set out the timetable and methods through which you can contribute to the debate. This document can be found on the council's web site, alternately you can talk to the planning policy team and request a copy.
Anyone can make representations on the policy documents by writing to the councils when these documents are out for consultation. Following the consultation the council redrafts policies taking into account representations made. Once complete the final document is submitted to an independent planning inspector. The inspector will assess whether or not a plan is ‘sound'. If they conclude all or part of a plan is unsound then the whole, or part, of the plan will be re-written.
If you feel that the council have not taken your comments on board then you are entitled to make representations to the planning inspectorate.
Alternatively you can support organisations such as the Wildlife Trust who are already participating in the debate and who are looking to serve the best interests of the local community of wildlife and people.
