Slough Borough Council: Local Development Framework

Local Development Framework

The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 introduced the requirement for local planning authorities to prepare a Local Development Framework (LDF) to replace the former two-tier system of Structure Plans and Local Plans. The LDF is a 'portfolio' of Local Development Documents (LDDs) which, including the LDS, is comprised of:

Development Plan Documents (DPDs): These are spatial planning documents which set out the main strategy, policies and proposals of the council. Together with the Regional Spatial Strategy DPDs form the development plan for the area. DPDs are subject to independent examination in public.
Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs): These provide more detailed guidance to supplement policies and proposals in the development plan documents. They do not have development plan status and are not subject to independent examination in public.
The Statement of Community Involvement (SCI): This sets out the process whereby there will be continuous community involvement, not only in the preparation of all the Local Development Documents but also on major planning applications.The document is subject to independent examination. The SCI for Slough was adopted in December 2006.

Local Development Scheme

Slough Borough Council, as the local planning authority, is required to produce a project plan or Local Development Scheme (LDS) for the preparation of Local Development Framework (LDF) documents, which will guide development in the Borough over the period to 2026.

The key purpose of the LDS is to inform the public, stakeholders, and other interested groups of how the council is approaching spatial planning and the control of development in Slough. The LDS enables interested parties to find out how and when there will be opportunities for participation in the development plan process.

The project plan sets out the following:

The timetable (including milestones to be met) of Local Development Documents to be prepared, together with information relating to the purpose and status of each document
The resources required for producing the LDF and any risks in meeting the timetable
The saved Development Plan Policies for Slough.
Sustainability Appraisal and Strategic Environmental Assessment

Sustainability Appraisal and Strategic Environmental Assessment

Throughout the preparation and production of LDDs, sustainability appraisal will be carried out as an integral part of the production process. The purpose of Sustainability Appraisal (SA) is to assess the social, economic, and environmental effects of the Plan’s strategies and policies to ensure that LDDs (with the exception of the Statement of Community Involvement) reflect sustainable development objectives. As specified within national guidance a single appraisal process for both SA and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) will be adopted, incorporating the requirements of the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive (European Directive 2001/42/EC).

In preparing LDDs, the council will:

Consult key stakeholders on the scope of a SA
Collect and maintain baseline monitoring information
Undertake an initial SA of options emerging from participation stage to help inform emerging policy
Produce a Sustainability Report at the Publication Stage of the DPD (or Participation Stage if an SPD) and make this available for consultation
Take account of the findings of the SA at the appropriate stages in the plan-making process

Guidance in Planning Policy Statement 12: Local Spatial Planning (para. 4.42) states that “Sustainability appraisal must be proportionate to the plan in question. It should not repeat the appraisal of higher level policy”. Furthermore Government guidance states that a Sustainability Appraisal need not be done in any more detail, or using more resources, than is useful for its purpose (Sustainability Appraisal of Regional Spatial Strategies and Local Development Documents, ODPM, November).