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Northumberland Local Plan

The Northumberland local plan is a collection of documents containing planning policies used to assess applications and guide the location of future development in the county.

Northumberland Local PlanStatement of Community InvolvementLocal Development SchemeSupplementary Planning DocumentsAnnual Monitoring ReportQuick Links

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Northumberland Local PlanStatement of Community InvolvementLocal Development SchemeSupplementary Planning DocumentsAnnual Monitoring ReportQuick Links

Northumberland Local Plan

A Local Plan document is currently being prepared by the Council. It will include the planning policies that will be used to guide and determine future planning applications in Northumberland, detail the scale and distribution of new development and include land allocations and designations.

Local Plan latest news
The Northumberland Local Plan was submitted to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on 29 May 2019 and is currently undergoing examination.

Following the end of the Phase 1 of the examination hearing sessions, the Inspector is currently considering whether it is necessary for the Council to undertake any further work at this stage and will be writing to the Council in the coming weeks to advise on the next steps.

Further hearing sessions will be necessary for Phase 2 of the examination but it is not currently possible to confirm when these will take place due to the ongoing situation with Coronavirus.

The hearing sessions for Chapter 13 (Managing Natural Resources) took place in February 2020 and a consultation on main modifications will take place in due course.

Up-to-date information and documents relating to the examination can be found on the examination website.
The Local Plan was submitted to the Secretary of State on 29 May 2019 and is currently undergoing independent examination.

Susan Heywood is the inspector appointed by the Secretary of State to carry out the examination and Stephen Normington has been appointed to assist with the examination of Chapter 13 (Managing Natural Resources) of the Local Plan. 
 
The inspector’s role is to determine whether or not the Local Plan is sound and complies with all the relevant legal requirements. In making this assessment, the inspector will take into account all the representations that were made on the Publication Draft of the Northumberland Local Plan.

Phase 1 of the examination hearings took place in October 2019 and February 2020. Following the end of this phase of the examination hearings, the Inspector is currently considering whether it is necessary for the Council to undertake any further work at this stage and will be writing to the Council in the coming weeks to advise on the next steps.

The hearing sessions for Chapter 13 (Managing Natural Resources) took place in February 2020 and a consultation on main modifications will take place in due course.

Matters not included in Phase 1 or under Chapter 13 will be dealt with during a second phase of the hearings. A further Matters, Issues and Questions document will be issued prior to the Phase 2 hearings and those who made representations will be given an opportunity to provide statements on those further matters to be considered in Phase 2. It is not currently possible to confirm when the Phase 2 hearings will take place due to the ongoing situation with Coronavirus.

Up-to-date information and documents relating to the examination, including the agenda for the hearing sessions, can be found on the dedicated examination website.
The Northumberland Local Plan was submitted to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communites and Local Government for independent examination on 29 May 2019. Click here to view the submission notice.

The submission plan comprises the Northumberland Local Plan Publication Draft as amended by the proposed minor modifications. Links to the above Local Plan documents and supporting documents can be viewed by clicking on the link below. The documents include the Sustainability Appraisal, Habitats Regulations Assessment, Statement of Consultation, evidence documents and copies of representations received in response to the Publication Draft Local Plan.
Next steps
An independent examination of the Local Plan will now take place. Up-to-date information and documents relating to the examination can be found on the examination website.
Representations on the 'Publication Draft' Local Plan were invited from 30 January 2019 to 13 March 2019 . The period for representations has now closed. The comments submitted are in the process of being logged and processed. All comments, including those submitted by email or as a paper copy, will be added to the consultation portal website. The representations will be reviewed prior to the proposed submission of the Local Plan for independent examination in May 2019. Local Plan documents
How to make comments
The period for making comments (30 January 2019 to 13 March 2019) has now closed. The comments submitted are in the process of being logged and processed. All comments, including those submitted by email or as a paper copy, will be added to the consultation portal website.
 
Drop-in sessions
During February and March 2019 a number of drop-in sessions were held across Northumberland to allow people to find out more about the Local Plan and how to provide their comments. The drop-in sessions included a small exhibition aimed at providing an overview of the Local Plan with staff involved in the preparation of the Local Plan present to help answer any questions. The display material can be viewed by clicking on the links below:
Compliance documents
The Publication Draft Local Plan is accompanied by a number of 'compliance' documents, which can be viewed below.
 
Evidence base and other supporting documents
A number of background and research studies have been undertaken to help support and inform the preparation of the Local Plan. These studies and reports can be viewed on the following page on our website: http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/Planning/Planning-policy/Reports.aspx.

Monitoring and implementation framework
The Monitoring and Implementation Framework sets out the main indicators that will be used to monitor the delivery and effectiveness of the objectives and planning policies in the Local Plan.
A summary of the main dates for the preparation of the Local Plan are summarised below:
  • Initial consultation - 28 March 2018 to 2 May 2018 (Complete)
  • Consultation on draft Local Plan - 4 July 2018 to 15 August 2018 (Complete)
  • Publication -  30 January 2019 to 13 March 2019 (Period for representations now closed)
  • Submission - May 2019 (Submitted on 29 May 2019)
  • Examination hearings - September 2019 (Phase 1 of the hearings is scheduled to commence on 8 October 2019 and run until 31 October 2019)
  • Adoption - March 2020
The full timetable for the preparation of the viewed in the Local Development Scheme document. 
Consultation on a draft of the Northumberland Local Plan took place between 4 July 2018 and Wednesday 15 August 2018.

The comments received are currently being processed. We will consider all comments received in response to this consultation, and together with updated any evidence, they will be used to inform the ‘Publication Draft’ Local Plan where appropriate. This version of the Local Plan will be subject to public consultation in January 2019 before it is submitted for independent examination in May 2019.

 
Consultation document
Drop-in sessions
During the consultation a number of drop-in sessions were held across Northumberland to allow people to find out more about the consultation and how to provide their comments. The drop-in sessions included a small exhibition with staff involved in the preparation of the Local Plan present to help answer any questions.

Click here to view the details of the dates, times and venues of drop-in sessions for this consultation.

The display material can be viewed by clicking on the links below:
Sustainability Appraisal and Habitats Regulations Assessment
The draft Local Plan is accompanied by a Sustainability Appraisal Report and a Habitats Regulations Assessment and can be viewed below.
 
Evidence base and other supporting documents
A number of background and research studies have been undertaken to help support and inform the preparation of the Local Plan. These studies and reports can be viewed on the following page on our main website: http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/Planning/Planning-policy/Reports.aspx.
There will be opportunities to provide us with your comments at each of the key stages in the preparation of the Local Plan. If you would like to be notified of any relevant Local Plan consultations and be kept up-to-date with progress you can add your name to our database by either: Further information on how the council will involve local people in preparing the Local Plan can be found in the Statement of Community Involvement document.
A consultation to capture views on preferred strategic locations for housing and employment development and the big issues that the new Local Plan for Northumberland should seek to address took place between 28 March 2018 and 2 May 2018. The consultation took the form of an Online Spatial Survey.

Consultation feedback

This consultation provided some initial feedback on the key issues the Local Plan should consider and captured views on the broad strategic locations for both housing development and employment development. Along with the findings from various evidence base studies, the responses from this consultation have helped to inform a draft of the Local Plan.

A feedback report has been prepared to provide an overview of the consultation and a summary of the responses received in reply. View the Spring 2018 Consultation Feedback Report.
To help inform preparation of the new Northumberland Local Plan, residents, landowners, developers, agents and other interested parties were invited to put forward sites for potential development allocations in the Plan as part of a 'call for sites' consultation.

The consultation closed on 12 March 2018 and all of the submissions received have been assessed. This has informed the site selection process for site allocations in the emerging Local Plan and the updated Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) and five year housing land supply analysis. Updated SHLAA and five year housing land supply analysis was published in December 2018, which can be found on the studies and evidence page our website - https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/Planning/Reports.aspx.
Sustainability Appriasal (SA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) are processes that must be carried out alongside the preparation of the Northumberland Local Plan. The purpose is to promote sustainable development by appraising the extent to which the policies and proposals in the emerging Local Plan would achieve environmental, social and economic objectives.

SA Report for Local Plan Submission
This SA Report has been prepared to accompany the submission of the Local Plan for examination. It is an updated version of the SA Report that was published and consulted upon alongside the Publication Draft Local Plan. The revised version takes account of the responses received and also appraises the proposed minor modifications.

SA Report for Regulation 19 Publication Draft Local Plan
This SA Report has been prepared to accompany the Publication Draft Local Plan (Regulation 19). It appraises the likely effects of the Local Plan and the reasonable alternatives as well as giving consideration to mitigating adverse effects.

SA Report for Regulation 18 Draft Local Plan
An Interim SA report was prepared alongside the Regulation 18 Draft Local Plan. It appraises the likely effects of the policies and proposal in the Draft Local Plan and the reasonable alternatives as well as giving consideration to mitigating adverse effects. Comments on the Interim SA REport were invited between 4 July 2018 and 15 August 2018.

Scoping stage
The preparation of a Scoping Report was the first stage in the SA/SEA process. This stage involved collecting baseline information on the environmental, social and economic conditions in the Local Plan area and developing the sustainability objectives that will provide the basis of appraising the emerging Local Plan.
Comments were invited on a draft of the SA Scoping Report between 28 March 2018 and 2 May 2018 and the comments received were used to inform the SA objectives and SA framework used to appraise the emerging Northumberland Local Plan as well as establishing whether the baseline information and issues identified were relevant. 
The purpose of the Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) is to assess the possible effects of the Local Plan on the nature conservation interests of sites designated as Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas and Ramsar sites.
Northumberland Coastal Mitigation Service Strategy Document
We have been working with Natural England to review the approach to the assessment and management of impacts arising from new development on specially protected sites on the Northumberland Coast. This document introduces a strategic scheme funded by developers, and implemented by the Council, that will enable mitigation to be provided within the designated sites themselves, in a consistent manner along the whole of the Northumberland Coast.
Planning Policy Team aims to be transparent and provide accessible information to individuals about how their personal data will be used through a privacy notice. A copy of our privacy notice is available HERE.
A Duty to Cooperate Statement of Common Ground has been prepared to accompany the Regulation 19 Publication Draft Local Plan. It sets out the strategic issues relevant to Northumberland and details the ongoing engagement that has, and continues, to take place between Northumberland County Council (NCC), neighbouring authorities and prescribed bodies. The statement is a live document reflecting the progress of discussions that have taken place up to December 2018 and will be updated for the submission of the Local Plan for examination in May 2019.
Links to the Duty to Cooperate Statement that was prepared to accompany the Regulation 18 Draft Local Plan consultation are provided below:
The Northumberland Core Strategy was submitted to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for independent examination on 7 April 2017.

At the Council meeting on 5 July 2017, Northumberland County Council agreed to formally withdraw the Core Strategy from the independent examination process. A Statement of Withdrawal, Frequently Asked Questions and Papers from the Council Meeting can be viewed accordingly.

Following a review, the Council has agreed that a full Local Plan document will be prepared and the Council will no longer be proceeding with the Core Strategy as well as the proposed Delivery Document.
In November 2017 the Council received a letter from the then Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government regarding the potential for Government intervention in the process to prepare the Northumberland Local Plan.
The Council made a full response in line with the deadline set by Government.  The response letter and related correspondence can be viewed below: The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government wrote to the council on 23 March 2017 to confirm there are no plans intervene or take further action at the present time. This is subject to the timetable in the Local Development Scheme being amended to produce the plan earlier and to be clearer about the dates for the key milestones by identifying specific months.  The council is currently reviewing the Local Development Scheme to take into account the recommendations of the Secretary of State. A revised Local Development Scheme will be published in due course. 

Statement of Community Involvement

The Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) sets out the Council’s commitments on involving local people and businesses in preparing the Local Plan and informing and consulting them on planning applications.

Click here to view the Statement of Community Involvement document.

Some of the current restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has meant that it is not possible to post site notices to publicise planning applications.

In those circumstances where the posting of a site notice is not expressly required under the relevant regulations and legislation, the application will be advertised by way of serving notice by post to the neighbouring properties. These notifications will also extend beyond the immediate adjoining neighbours to the wider neighbours with the extent of the notifications judged on a case-by-case basis.

This will be in addition to the publication of the notice in a local newspaper in the case of applications ‘major development’ or applications in a Conservation Area for example.

For those applications where a site notice is expressly required, the application will be held in abeyance until the advice changes and the required site notice can be posted.

Town and Parish Councils will continue to be consulted in the usual way on every planning application.

An addendum to be read in conjunction with the SCI has been prepared to reflect this temporary approach and to reassure local communities that we are adapting our consultation process to reflect the current circumstances.

Click here to view the addendum to the Statement of Community Involvement.

Local Development Scheme

The Local Development Scheme (LDS) sets out the broad timetable for the preparation of the Northumberland Local Plan, including the dates for key consultations and the adoption of the final document.

Click here to view Local Development Scheme 2018-2021 (April 2018)

This version of the Local Development Scheme supersedes the version published in November 2017. It has been amended to accelerate the timetable for preparation of the Local Plan and to identify specific months for each of the key milestones in order to improve clarity.

Supplementary Planning Documents

The Council is proposing to prepare the following Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) to provide additional guidance on the proposed policies in the Northumberland Local Plan and advice to assist in considering and determining planning applications:

  • Affordable Housing
  • Design
  • Highways and Transportation Design and Delivery
  • Hot Food Takeaway
  • Planning Obligations
  • Renewable Energy
Existing adopted Supplementary Planning Documents
There are also existing adopted Supplementary Planning Documents, which can be viewed using the links in the Consolidated Planning Policy Framework.
Consultation on scoping documents for a proposed Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) and a proposed Planning Obligations SPD is taking place until 5pm on 6 November 2019. Further information can be found using the links below:
Comments were invited on scoping documents for a Northumberland Design Guide SPD and a Highways and Transportation Design and Delivery SPD from 30 January 2019 to 13 March 2019. The consultation documents can be viewed by clicking on the links below.

Annual Monitoring Report

The Council carries out regular monitoring to help understand how well the current planning policies are working. Monitoring is important to help inform the preparation of the planning policies and decisions on planning applications.

Click here to view more information on monitoring.

Quick Links

Further information:

> Current Planning Policies
> Studies & Evidence Reports
> Neighbourhood Planning
> Self and Custom Build Register
> Local Development Orders
> Community Infrastructure Levy
> Contact the Planning Policy Team

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