Planning (Local Development Framework) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Planning (Local Development Framework) - Essay Example Local Development Framework (LDF)- This is essentially a folder of documents outlining the spatial planning development strategy of a local area. These are prepared by the district councils, unitary authorities and local park authorities. LDF and RSS together shall shape the development planning system in a community. One key aspect of the new system is the role of local community involvement in the plan making process. The Local Development Framework (LDF) will include several Development Plan Documents (DPDs) and a number of Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs). The Development Plan Documents, along with the Mayor of London's London Plan, Development Plan and will be the basis upon which all planning decisions are made. The main DPDs in LDF are as follows: Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) - this document sets out how and when the communities and local stakeholders will participate in the revision of local planning documents as well as consideration of planning applications. The most important benefit of SCI would be "front loading" which basically means that communities get the opportunity to participate in planning process and make a difference at the very beginning of each document development. Ready access to information, active contribution from the stakeholders and regular feedback make it vibrant. Essentially SCI addresses the following : Local Development SIssues on which the community involvement is being sought-The entire range of local development documents on which community shall be involved. Methodology of community involvement- The process of receiving and spreading of information, policy and plan development procedures and feedback process. Who to involve- To ensure that even those groups who do not get involved in planning process are involved so that the participation is truly broad based. Annual Monitoring Report- Assessment report of the progress and effectiveness of an LDF submitted to the government by a local planning authority. It will include critical analysis of the following: Achievement of objectives as per the policies especially delivery of sustainable development. Consequences of the policies as intended or not. Relevance of objectives and assumptions behind the policies. Achievement of targets as set out in LDF Range of local and standard (Core output) indicators. Recommendation on adjustment to local development scheme if needed. Local Development Scheme- This is the scheme of the local development documents (LDDs) which will be produced giving their time and order of production. It is the threshold for the community and local stakeholders to know: about the planning polices of the authority for a particular place or an issue. status of those policies details and timetable for production of all the documents which comprise Local Development Framework over a three year time period. Other optional documents may include Supplementary Planning Documents (which explain the LDDs or add details to them) and Local Development Orders (which extend permitted rights for a particular form of development) or Simplified Development Zones (Areas where growth needs to be stimulated by granting waiver of planning fees or the need for a formal application) It was found that the existing documents were too detailed and complicated for the general public to understand. These actually hampered public participation rather than encourage it. In order to address these issues and to educate & inform general