3. The Local Development Framework (
LDF
)
Local Development Documents (
LDD
s)
Development Plan Documents (
DPD
s)
3.1 As has been set out in Section 1 the
LDF
is made up of
Local Development Documents, which are split into Development Plan
Documents and Supplementary Planning Documents, and the Statement
of Community Involvement. For
DPD
s there are three main
opportunities for comment, these are set out in the diagram
below.
Supplementary Planning Documents
(SPDs)
3.2 For
SPD
s there is one formal
consultation period, the production stages are set out in the
diagram below:
Sustainability Appraisal (
SA
)
3.3 Sustainability Appraisal (SA) must be
conducted as part of the preparation of
DPD
s and
SPD
s. Through the
SA
, planning
authorities must show an assessment of different options according
to certain sustainability criteria and show how conclusions were
reached. The
SA
forms
an integral part of the test for ‘soundness’.
3.4 At the evidence gathering stage of
preparing a document, consultation bodies need to be consulted on
the sustainability criteria to be included in the
SA
. A
SA
report should also be
published for public comment (in the case of site allocation
representations there is an additional six-week consultation
period) alongside the plan document at the issues and options stage
and at the preferred option stage. Once the document is adopted a
statement must be published which summarises how the
SA
has been taken into account in
the preparation of the document.
What happens to comments
received?
3.5 Representations must be made in
writing and all comments received in formal consultation periods
will be made available at the Civic Offices for the public to view.
All comments received will be taken into account in the continuing
preparation of that particular document. Respondents who comment on
documents will be added to the
LDF
database and will be
contacted at each subsequent stage to inform them of opportunities
for further involvement. Feedback will be provided in more general
terms using the methods outlined in Table 1 but particularly
through keeping the Council’s website up to date.
3.6 Where appropriate, the preparation of
the development plan documents will take public comments into
consideration. When the development plan documents are submitted
for independent examination by the Secretary of State, public
representations and the Council’s responses are taken into account
by the Planning Inspectorate.