Development plan preparation is a statutory duty under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. Planning Policy Services principally involves the preparation, implementation and review of the new Easington Development Framework to replace the Easington Local Plan. The Development Framework is a series of documents aimed at providing a spatial strategy to guide development in the district over a 15- year period. For the Planning Portal interactive guide to the new Local Development Frameworks please select this link.
The current District of Easington Local Plan was adopted in December 2001 and was cancelled in September 2007. Under the terms of Schedule 8 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act, the Council applied for direction to extend selected policies of the Local Plan until such time as they are replaced by new policies in the Local Development Framework. A Schedule of saved policies can be viewed via the link opposite. Any policies not in the schedule are now cancelled.
The Planning Policy function also involves responding to consultation on Regional Planning Guidance and other authorities’ development plans and national Planning Policy Statements. The service also formulates, manages and implements specific economic development implementation and regeneration projects.
You should contact a member of the Planning Policy team should you have any queries about these matters. You can also view an electronic copy of Local Plan or alternatively a paper copy is available for purchase if required.
The Local Development Scheme (LDS) is the three-year timetable for the production of local development documents that will make up the Local Development Framework. Work on the Easington Local Development Framework has now ceased as preperation of a Local Development Framework for County Durham is commencing. The LDS is the starting point for residents to find the timetable for getting involved in plan preperation. You can view an electronic copy of the Local Development Scheme for County Durham via the link opposite.
District of Easington Council has prepared a Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) following an independent examination by the Planning Inspectorate. The SCI sets out the Council’s approach for involving local communities in the preparation of the Easington’s Development Framework and in the consideration of planning applications that are determined by the Council.
The SCI was adopted by District of Easington Council on the 6th April 2006 and can be viewed via the link opposite.
The Annual Monitoring Report is submitted to the Secretary of State by the end of December each year. In preperation of a new unitary authority, the report for 2007/08 has been prepared jointly and contains information relating to all of the Durham District and County areas. The report can be viewed via the link opposite. The report contains details of each Districts 5-year housing land supply, required in response to Planning Policy Statement 3, Housing (PPS3). Monitoring reports are also available for each year from 2004/05.
This report is now included in the Annual Monitoring Report, which can be viewed via the link opposite.
The Council is currently undertaking a Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) the purpose of which is to identify sites with housing potential and when they may be available for development. This will assist the new Council in considering options and alternatives for accommodating sufficient new housing over the development plan period.
The Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment does not itself determine whether a site should be allocated for housing development, but is an essential evidence source to inform the Local Development Framework.
The Council has undertaken an initial assessment to identify sites and completed an appraisal of their availability, suitability and developability. A joint workshop has been held with all of the Durham authorities, and further consultation is now needed to complete the assessment. Details and maps of sites considered to be suitable for housing can be viewed via related pages and are colour coded for ease of reference (suitable sites are shaded blue). You are encouraged to complete a Site Assessment Form on as many suitable sites as possible to provide further information on the potential delivery of housing. This is available via the link opposite. A further table of sites considered unsuitable at this time is provided for information (unsuitable sites are shaded in pink).
You are requested to submit completed Assessment Forms to the Planning Policy Team at the Council no later than 23 May either by post to Planning Policy Team, Council Offices, Seaside Lane, Easington, SR8 3TN or by email to ldf@easington.gov.uk
Once the Council has considered your responses a final Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment will be prepared and published on the Council's website. Thereafter it will be updated annually and published with the LDF Annual Monitoring Report.
The Council has approved an Affordable Housing Policy Statement to support the delivery of affordable homes in new housing schemes from 1 April 2007, in accordance with Planning Policy Statement 3, Housing. The statement has been prepared following analysis of information provided in the Affordable Housing Strategy, a study commissioned by the Council to assess the nature and extent of affordable housing issues and which identifies the need to diversify the housing stock to provide more housing choice for residents. Both documents can be viewed via the links opposite.
A preferred option for an affordable housing policy is now included in the LDF Core Strategy and Development Management document published for consultation, see below.
This document sets out a planning framework for the District to address environmental, economic and social issues and to encourage development that will shape the nature of the area over the next 15 years. The options have been formulated through extensive engagement on Issues and Options for a Core Strategy and Policies for Development Control previously published in two separate documents which can still be viewed via the links opposite.
The Preferred Option is the first formal stage of plan preparation. The document is published for consultation until 27 June 2008 along with a Statement of Proposals Matters. You are encouraged to use a standard response form when submitting comments. All of these documents and the response form are available via the links opposite. Please send your comments to ldf@easington.gov.uk before 4.30pm on 27 June 2008.
Please note that due to Local Government Review this document will not be submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination. Any representations received will be considered as part of the evaluation of options to be taken forward by the new unitary authority for County Durham in preparation of a new Local Development Framework for the County.
Under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 Councils are required to carry out a sustainability appraisal of all documents in the Local Development Framework. Following previous consultation, a Sustainability Scoping Report has been approved which sets out the environmental, social and economic objectives to be used as a basis for predicting and measuring the effects of policy options in LDF documents. The Scoping report, Technical Appendices and a summary Sustainability Framework are available via the link opposite.
The Sustainability Appraisal of the Preferred Options Core Strategy and Development Management document is published for consultation for six weeks alongside the LDF document. A non-technical summary is also published, these are available via the links opposite. You are encouraged to use the same standard response form, please send your comments to ldf@easington.gov.uk before 4.30pm 27 June 2008.
An Appraisal is being prepared of the Districts four Conservation Areas. These identify the features and qualities which make the area special and will be used to guide development proposals and to prepare appropriate policies for the Easington Local Development Framework. Consultation was carried out during 2006 in Castle Eden and Seaham, and in 2007 for Easington Village, appraisals for these areas are now complete and can be viewed via the links opposite.
Name: Planning
Telephone: 0191 527 0501
email: planning2@easington.gov.uk |
Address: Planning Unit, Building no. 1, Council Offices, Seaside Lane, Easington Village, County Durham, SR8 3TN
Fax: 0191 5273868