Development plan revised project plan (Local Development Scheme)

Purpose of the project plan

Current district local planning policy

Review of the adopted core strategy and preparation of a district local plan

Statement of community involvement

Local plans 2019-2021 

Supplementary planning documents

Community infrastructure levy

Neighbourhood development plans

Appendix A - programme 

Appendix B - Neighbourhood plans

Appendix C - Profiles and milestones

Jargon guide

1. PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT PLAN

1.1 This project plan (the Local Development Scheme) provides up to date information for stakeholders and the general public about the status and coverage of Development Plan Documents and the Council’s intention for their future preparation. It sets out:

1. Which Planning Policies are currently in force in the District.
2. What the Council’s intentions are for the plan making framework over the next two years to 2021.

1.2 Since the previous version of this document was published in June 2018 the bulk of the document remains unaffected. There are however updates to this document in respect of: 

• Paragraphs 3.2 - 3.3 – Progressing the Local Plan Review.
• Paragraph 5.1 – 5.2 – District wide Local Plan.
• Appendix A – REVISED Programme for the preparation of the Local Plan. 

1.3 The project plan includes information relating to timescales and resources, the content of new plans and their scope and coverage.

Background

1.3 Councils should continue to prepare and maintain a “Local Development Scheme“ (project plan), specifying the documents that will make up their Development Plan; their subject matter and area and the timetable for their preparation and revision. 

1.4 Under changes brought about through the Localism Act 2011, aimed at simplifying the planning system, Councils are no longer required to submit the Local Development Scheme to the Secretary of State, but they must publish up-to-date information on their progress in preparing Local Plans against the project plan.

Key changes introduced to the LDS in this review

1.5 The District Council’s first LDS was formally submitted to the Secretary of State in February 2005 and came into effect on 27th March 2005. Since then the Project Plan has progressively been refined through a process of monitoring and review. This document provides a review of timescales to focus on the production of a single Local Plan for the District.

1.6 The key changes introduced as part of this review are the reprogramming of the timetable to take account of the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and associated guidance, updating of the evidence base and the production of the District’s new Local Plan. 

1.7 Since the last LDS Review, the Government has published the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) (latest version of revised NPPF published in February 2019).

2. CURRENT DISTRICT LOCAL PLANNING POLICY

2.1 At present the main Planning Policies for the District are contained in the following documents:

• Wyre Forest Adopted Core Strategy (December 2010) 
• Wyre Forest Adopted Site Allocations and Policies Local Plan (July 2013)
• Kidderminster Central Area Action Plan (July 2013)
• Worcestershire Adopted Waste Core Strategy (2012) 
• Worcestershire Minerals Local Plan Saved Policies 
• Chaddesley Corbett Neighbourhood Plan (September 2014) 
• Churchill and Blakedown Neighbourhood Plan (July 2017)

Wyre Forest Adopted Core Strategy (December 2010)

2.2 The Core Strategy was formally adopted by the Council in December 2010 following an Independent Examination by a Planning Inspector. This is the key strategic level document for the District and sets out the broad strategy and
vision for development within the District up until 2026. The Core Strategy was adopted prior to the publication of the National Planning Policy Framework in 2012, and carried forward the housing, employment and retail targets allocated to the District in the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy (WMRSS). The WMRSS was revoked in 2013 and Local Authorities are now
required to set their own development plan targets.

Wyre Forest Adopted Site Allocations and Policies Local Plan (July 2013)

2.3 The Site Allocations and Policies Local Plan was formally adopted by the Council in July 2013 following Independent Examination which included a consistency assessment against the National Planning Policy Framework policies. This
contains the detailed site allocations and their associated policies in order to meet the overarching Development Strategy. It also contains a number of generic Development Management policies.

Kidderminster Central Area Action Plan (July 2013)

2.4 The Kidderminster Central Area Action Plan was formally adopted by the Council in July 2013 following Independent Examination which included a consistency assessment against the National Planning Policy Framework policies. This
contains detailed policies for sites within the central area of Kidderminster and has a strong focus on regeneration.

Supplementary Planning Documents/Supplementary Guidance 

2.5 The District Council has found it helpful to prepare additional guidance to further clarify some of the Local Plan policies. These documents have been formally adopted by the Council as Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD) and as
such can be afforded material consideration.

2.6 Worcestershire County Council has also produced Supplementary Guidance in relation to Education Contributions, Landscape Character Assessment and a Green Infrastructure Strategy. These have been endorsed by the District Council
and are therefore a material consideration against which planning applications should be assessed. 

2.7 The table below relates to existing Supplementary Planning Guidance/Documents for the Wyre Forest District. They are capable of being a material consideration in determining planning applications. 

3. REVIEW OF THE ADOPTED CORE STRATEGY AND PREPARATION OF A DISTRICT LOCAL PLAN

3.1 The remainder of this Project Plan will consider the preparation of the new Local Plan which will form the Development Plan and this is set out in more detail in Appendix A (Programme Management Timetable).

3.2 Since the last review of the Local Development Scheme in June 2018, the Council has made the following progress in meeting its milestones for the Local Plan Review:

• Consideration of all the consultation responses following the publication of the Local Plan “Preferred Options” document.
• Public consultation on the Local Plan Pre-Submission document and supporting evidence base studies.
• Revision of the evidence base including an update of the Transport Modelling, preparation of a Transport Evidence Paper, and a subsequent update to the Infrastructure Delivery Plan and Viability Assessment. 

3.3 During 2019-21 we anticipate that our resources will be concentrated on: 

• The re-opening of the public consultation for further comments on the Local Plan Pre-Submission document following the update to the evidence base studies.
• Consideration of the Pre-Submission consultation responses and preparation of submission documents to be submitted to Planning Inspectorate. 
• Submission of Local Plan and supporting documents to Planning Inspectorate.
• Commencement of independent examination in public by the Planning Inspectorate.

4. STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT (SCI) 

4.1 The District Council’s first Statement of Community Involvement was formally adopted by the Council in April 2006. In February 2013 the District Council adopted a Revised Statement of Community Involvement in order to reflect changes to the regulations governing the preparation of Local Plans, the introduction of neighbourhood planning and changes to consultation on planning applications. The Revised Statement of Community Involvement provides a set of clear guidelines and minimum standards that the community and interest groups can expect when Local Plans are being prepared. It provides guidance on how bodies carrying out neighbourhood planning should undertake consultation and sets out the methods of consultation the District Council will use when undertaking its statutory duties in relation to neighbourhood planning. The document also 
clarifies the community participation and public consultation arrangements for the determination of planning applications.

4.2 The SCI can be viewed on the Councils website.

5. LOCAL PLANS 2019 to 2021

District wide Local Plan 

5.1 During 2015 we commenced a review of the Adopted Core Strategy. This started with an Issues and Options consultation in September 2015. This work stream will take the opportunity to produce a single District-wide Local Plan rather than continuing with three separate Development Plan Documents. This work, along with the fresh evidence generated within this process, has directly influenced the development of a Local Plan “Pre-submission document”. 

5.2 The Local Plan Pre-Submission document was consulted on in November/December 2018. Further to responses received at the Pre Submission consultation stage it was agreed with Worcestershire County Council as Highway Authority that further refinement of the transport evidence would be beneficial which has subsequently required further amendment to the transport modelling and resulted in the production of a Transport Evidence Paper to support the Local Plan. The Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) and the Viability Assessment are also being updated. Therefore, the public consultation for Local Plan Pre-Submission document and supporting evidence base studies will be re-opened for further comments to be made. All consultation responses received will be submitted to the Planning Inspector (including consultation responses received during
consultation held in November/December 2018).

6. SUPPLEMENTARY PLANNING DOCUMENTS (SPDs)

6.1 SPDs provide further detail, guidance and clarification on specific areas of planning policy and development management within the Wyre Forest District.

6.2 The need for further SPDs will be monitored and kept under review during the 2019-21 time period and up to date information will be included in the Project Plan as and when necessary. Some of the Supplementary Planning Guidance
relates to sites which are currently being developed out and will therefore be subject to review in the next LDS as developments are completed and they are no longer required.

7. COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE LEVY (CIL) 

7.1 The District Council is currently still considering the potential to bring forward a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Charging Schedule for the area. CIL would allow the authority to raise funds from new developments and rates should be set
in consultation with local communities and developers and will provide certainty up front about how much money developers will be expected to contribute.

7.2 Charging Authorities must produce a charging schedule setting out the levy’s rate in their area, which must strike an appropriate balance between the desirability of funding infrastructure and the potential effects of the levy upon the economic
viability of development across their area.

7.3 To progress a tariff we will require up to date evidence about the effect of the levy on economic viability to demonstrate that any proposed rate strikes an appropriate balance. The level of CIL charge must only be set on the basis of viability. A decision was made by Cabinet in 2013 to postpone progression on CIL and to consider it in line with the Local Plan Review. This position will be reviewed alongside the on-going development of the emerging Local Plan. 

8. NEIGHBOURHOOD DEVELOPMENT PLANS

8.1 Neighbourhood Planning is central to the Government’s Localism Agenda. The right to produce Neighbourhood Development Plans is introduced through the Localism Act 2011.

8.2 As the Local Planning Authority we must provide advice and assistance to Parish and Town Councils or Neighbourhood Forums in unparished areas, should they wish to bring forward a Neighbourhood Development Plan/Order for their area.

We will take an active role in advising and supporting community groups, sharing evidence and information. This is proving to be a considerable draw on the resources of the Planning Policy Section going forward and will need to be kept under review with regard to allocating additional staff resources to this function.

8.3 Under the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations it is the District Council’s role to:

• Determine applications for neighbourhood areas.
• Publish Neighbourhood Plans which are submitted to the District Council and notify relevant bodies of their receipt.
• Organise an independent examination for a Neighbourhood Development Plan/Order.
• Organise a Local Referendum.
• Make the Neighbourhood Development Plan as part of our Development Plan for the District if a majority “yes” vote is secured at the referendum.

8.4 The District Council has five designated Neighbourhood Areas within the District:

• Chaddesley Corbett Parish
• Churchill and Blakedown Parish
• Bewdley Parish
• Upper Arley Parish
• Cookley and Caunsall

8.5 To date, there are two ‘made’ Neighbourhood Plans within the District. These are Chaddesley Corbett Parish Neighbourhood Plan, which was formally ‘made’ on 25th September 2014, and Churchill and Blakedown Parish Neighbourhood Plan which was formally ‘made’ on 26th July 2017. In addition to these made neighbourhood plans there are other communities in the early stages of preparing a Neighbourhood Plan. 

8.6 The application for the designation of the Parish of Bewdley as a Neighbourhood Plan Area for the purpose of neighbourhood planning was approved on 10th June 2015, following a consultation held during April – May 2015. The Qualifying Body is Bewdley Town Council, who has prepared a draft Neighbourhood Plan which went out to consultation during April and May 2018.

8.7 The application for the designation of the Parish of Upper Arley, as a Neighbourhood Area for the purpose of neighbourhood planning was approved on 24th July 2015, following a consultation held during May – June 2015. Upper Arley Parish Council is the Qualifying Body and are in the early stages of preparing their Neighbourhood Plan. 

8.8 The application for the designation of the Cookley and Caunsall neighbourhood plan area was approved by Cabinet on 19th September 2018. Wolverley and Cookley Parish Council is the Qualifying Body and is in the early stages of preparing their Neighbourhood Plan.

APPENDIX A – Programme for the preparation and review of Local Plan – June 2019

July 2019

1 - Cabinet approval

September - October 2019

2 - Re-opening of Public Consultation (Regulation 19) for Local Plan Pre-submission Publication

February 2020

3 - Full Council approval for submission to Planning Inspectorate

March 2020

4 - Submission to Planning Inspectorate

April - July 2020 

5 - Independent Examination by Planning Inspector

August 2020

6 - Receipt of Planning Inspector’s Report

September 2020

7 - Council adoption of Local Plan

APPENDIX B – NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANS

Neighbourhood Plans in Wyre Forest District

The following sets out the progress made to date by communities in preparing Neighbourhood Plans within the District. The Council’s webpages will be updated as progress is made.

Communities with a Designated Neighbourhood Area

• Chaddesley Corbett Parish
• Churchhill and Blakedown Parish
• Bewdley Parish
• Upper Arley Parish
• Cookley and Caunsall

Communities with a Published Draft Neighbourhood Plan

• Bewdley Parish (Pre-Submission draft version published April 2018)

Communities with a Draft Neighbourhood Plan Submitted for Examination

None

Communities with a Draft Neighbourhood Plan ready for, or at, Referendum

None

Communities with a ‘Made’ Neighbourhood Plan

• Chaddesley Corbett Parish
• Churchill and Blakedown Parish

APPENDIX C – Profiles and Milestones

1. STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Overview:

• Role & Coverage: Sets out how the District Council will involve stakeholders and the local community in the preparation of all Local Development Documents and the consideration of planning applications.
• Coverage: District-wide
• Status:Non Development Plan LDD
• Conformity: Regulations and requirements set out by Government and the District Council’s Consultation Strategy 2004
  Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 as amended

Key Milestones:

• REVIEWED: FEBRUARY 2013
• MONITOR THROUGH ANNUAL MONITORING REPORT AND REVIEW IF SIGNIFICANT LEGISLATIVE CHANGES OCCUR.

2. CORE STRATEGY

Overview:

• Role & Coverage: Strategic document setting out the vision and spatial planning framework for the District up to 2026. Includes generic strategy and core policies on subjects including housing; climate change and the environment; economy,
  town centres, local distinctiveness and transport infrastructure.
• Coverage: District-wide
• Status: Local Plan
• Conformity: Regulations and requirements set out by Government National Planning Policy

Key Milestones:

• ADOPTED: DECEMBER 2010
• MONITOR AND REVIEW THROUGH ANNUAL MONITORING PROCESS.
• LOCAL PLAN REVIEW COMMENCED IN 2015 FOLLOWING EVIDENCE BASE COLLATION AND RENEWAL IN 2014.
• ISSUES AND OPTIONS CONSULTATION COMPLETED OCTOBER 2015.
• ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE BASE COMMISSIONS REQUIRED TO SUPPORT PREPARATION OF PREFERRED OPTION.
• COMPLETION OF PREFERRED OPTION DEVELOPMENT JUNE 2017
• PUBLIC CONSULTATION OF PREFERRED OPTIONS DOCUMENT UNDERTAKEN IN JUNE – AUGUST 2017.
• CONSIDERATION OF PREFERRED OPTIONS CONSULTATION RESPONSES COMMENCED IN SEPTEMBER 2017. THIS IS BEING FOLLOWED BY THE PREPARATION OF THE PRE-SUBMISSION DOCUMENT.

3. SITE ALLOCATIONS AND POLICIES LOCAL PLAN

Overview:

• Role & Coverage: Identifies the specific sites that will provide for the District’s development needs in the period up to 2026, in conformity with the Adopted Core Strategy. It will also designate specific areas for protection/safeguarding during the plan period and include some generic development control policies.
• Coverage: District-wide
• Status: Local Plan 
• Conformity: Regulations and requirements set out by Government
  • National Planning Policy
  • Core Strategy

Key Milestones:

• ADOPTED: JULY 2013
• MONITOR AND REVIEW THROUGH ANNUAL MONITORING PROCESS. INCORPORATE INTO DISTRICT WIDE LOCAL PLAN IN PARALLEL WITH CORE STRATEGY REVIEW.
• REVIEWED AS INTEGRAL PART OF PREFERRED OPTION PREPARATION AND ON-GOING LOCAL PLAN REVIEW PREPARATION.

4. KIDDERMINSTER CENTRAL AREA ACTION PLAN

Overview:

• Role & Coverage: To provide a detailed planning policy framework, which sets out the strategy and policies for the
  development of the town’s central area, and helps to achieve this regeneration. The KCAAP will help
  to stimulate regeneration and investment in the town by providing certainty and confidence for potential investors,
  as well as providing the basis for co-ordinating the actions of a range of public and private sector partners.
• Coverage: Central Kidderminster including the Town Centre, Horsefair, Comberton Hill, Mill Street and Park Lane
• Status: Local Plan
• Conformity: Regulations and requirements set out by Government
  • National Planning Policy
  • Core Strategy

Key Milestones:

• ADOPTED: JULY 2013
• MONITOR AND REVIEW THROUGH ANNUAL MONITORING PROCESS. INCORPORATE INTO DISTRICT WIDE LOCAL PLAN IN PARALLEL WITH CORE STRATEGY REVIEW.
• REVIEWED AS INTEGRAL PART OF PREFERRED OPTION PREPARATION AND ON-GOING LOCAL PLAN REVIEW PREPARATION.

Jargon guide

AMR  -  Authority Monitoring Report

An annually produced document which sets out the progress made in achieving the timetable set out in the Local  Development Scheme as well as measuring the effectiveness of the development plan policies.

CIL -  Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)

The Planning Act 2008 enables local planning authorities to charge a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) in its area. The CIL must be set at an appropriate level to help fund strategic infrastructure for the Council and the local community to support planned growth, but not too high to render growth commercially unviable.

CS - Community Strategy

Local Authorities are required by the Local Government Act 2000 to prepare this, with the aim of improving the social, environmental and economic wellbeing of their areas.

LP - Local Plan

Collective term given to all statutory documents that form the Development Plan for the District. These currently comprise of the Core Strategy, Site Allocations and Policies Local Plan, Kidderminster Central Area Action Plan and a Policies Map. This portfolio of documents will be replaced by a single (integrated) Local Plan document when the Review is completed.

SA - Sustainability Appraisal (SA)

A tool for appraising policies to ensure that they balance social, economic and environmental development objectives which incorporates the requirements of the 2001 Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive. The 2004 Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act requires SA to be undertaken for all Local Development Documents.

SCI - Statement of Community Involvement

This sets out the planning authority’s proposals for involving the local community in plan-making.

SPD - Supplementary Planning Document

These will cover a range of issues and expand on the policies contained within Local Plans. They are, however, not part of the development plan and will not be subject to independent examination.