Local Development Framework

Between 13 June and 25 July 2008 we are consulted on the Core Strategy and Development Policies DPD ( Submission Stage ) and the Otterburn Training Area - Area Action Plan ( Issues and Options ) documents.

The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 means that existing development plans for the area, structure and local plans will be replaced by Local Development Frameworks. The Government has set out its policy for the preparation of Local Development Frameworks in Planning Policy Statement 12: Local Development Frameworks.

At its meeting on 14 September 2004, the National Park Authority marked the beginning of the preparation of the Local Development Framework (NPA Agenda Sept 2004 PDF Format, 89kb). The preparation of the Local Development Framework is a significant project for the National Park Authority. It will run over a number of years and will require significant resource. The work is being led by the Forward Planning and Performance Team of the Authority.

If you would like to be involved in the preparation of the Local Development Framework, please contact us for more information.

The Local Development Framework will be a portfolio of documents. These are:

• The Local Development Scheme that sets out how the Local Development Framework will be progressed over the next three years.
• The Statement of Community Involvement sets out our approach to involving the community in the preparation and revision of Local Development Documents and consultation on Planning Applications.
• Development Plan Documents which are planning documents that will be subject to independent testing and will have the weight of development plan status such as the Core Strategy; Otterburn Training Area - Area Action Plan and the Land Allocations document.
• Supplementary Planning Documents such as the Building Design Guide, Otterburn Camp; Local List and Historic Village Atlas SPD are planning documents that amplify the policy of development plan documents but are not subject to independent testing.
• Annual Monitoring Reports - Northumberland National Park Authority has prepared and published an initial 'baseline' report and will thereafter publish Annual Monitoring Reports so that the impact of planning policy can be assessed.
• Sustainability Appraisal Reports evaluate proposed policies and programmes, highlighting any significant problems or benefits likely to result from their implementation and thereby guiding the Local Development Framework.

Throughout the preperation of the Local Development Framework we will be gathering an evidence base to support the portfolio of documents.  As the evidence base documents emerge they will be found here;

• Housing Need Survey - this was carried out during May and June 2007 in order to establish the current and future housing need of the National Park.
• The Northumberland National Park Core Strategy and Development Policies Preferred Options document proposes a settlement hierarchy to ensure that development within Northumberland National Park takes place in the most sustainable locations possible working within the framework of the Authority’s statutory purposes and duty.  These documents are background evidence to support the settlement hierarchy.
  • Settlement Strategy (Topic Paper 1)
  • Housing (Topic Paper 2)
  • Core Strategy Evicence Base