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| Chapter 1 |
| Introduction |
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Introduction |
| 1.1 |
This plan has been approved by the Council
as an Interim Guide for Development Control; as such it forms a material
consideration in the determination of planning applications. It will
help to guide development across the whole of Wealden district until
2011. |
| 1.2 |
In Wealden District, the development plan
currently comprises the Wealden Local Plan, adopted in 1998 together
with the East Sussex and Brighton & Hove Structure Plan 1991-2011
(hereafter referred to as the Structure Plan) which was adopted in
1999. This plan does not form part of the development plan as the
Council decided not to take it through the statutory process to formal
adoption (see below). |
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The Plan's Status |
| 1.3 |
This plan emanates from a decision to
review the adopted 1998 Wealden Local Plan leading to a replacement
plan. This was because of the significant requirement in the Structure
Plan for new housing and business development in Wealden and because
of the many changes to Government policy which guide development and
change. |
| 1.4 |
Although a First Deposit Draft plan of
the Local Plan Review was published in January 2003 under the statutory
process, the Council decided on the 19th May 2004 not to progress
the Local Plan through to a Public Inquiry and the statutory procedures
leading to its formal adoption. A Revised Draft Plan was published
in November 2004 as a non statutory plan and following consideration
of public representations, the Council approved the plan in December
2005 as an interim guide for development control. |
| 1.5 |
In making this decision, the Council gave
careful consideration to the Governments new requirements under the
Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, namely the need to prepare
a Local Development Framework to replace the existing Wealden Local
Plan. The Government urged local planning authorities to expedite
the completion of their local plan reviews and to progress work on
a Local Development Framework. |
| 1.6 |
As a consequence, the adopted Wealden
Local Plan (1998) and the East Sussex and Brighton & Hove Structure
Plan 1991-2011 will continue to constitute the development plan for
the District until replaced by the Local Development Framework. This
plan will form a material consideration in the determination of planning
applications. |
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Weight to be attached
to the Plan |
| 1.7 |
This plan is a non-statutory plan and
therefore does not form part of the Development Plan and cannot have
the weight attached to a statutory plan which is given by Section
38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. However the
extensive work undertaken on both the first deposit draft and the
revised draft plan which underlies the non-statutory plan in terms
of dealing with objections on the draft local plan and the resolutions
made on the proposed policies contained in the plan and in particular
the choice of sites following the detailed study of alternative sites,
affords this non-statutory plan some status as a material consideration.
This work, as a material consideration, will be accorded appropriate
weight when dealing with planning applications and referred to in
development control reports as and when applications for planning
permission are considered. Reports on applications concerning an 'allocated'
or 'unallocated' site or a site within or outside of the development
boundaries shown in this plan, will contain an explanation of the
specific consideration given to the particular site in the local plan
process, how objections and proposals for alternative sites or relevant
amendments to the relevant policy or development boundary were considered,
and the basis for the decision to allocate or not allocate the site
the subject of the application in issue in the final version of the
non-statutory local plan. Decision making on planning applications
will have regard to 'saved' policies from the Development Plan, policies
contained within the non-statutory plan, Government guidance and other
material planning considerations. |
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The Purpose of this Plan |
| 1.8 |
In setting out policies and proposals for
the development and use of land, the Plan looks to:- |
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- bring local planning issues before the public;
- develop the overall policy framework of the Structure Plan;
- provide a detailed framework for the control of development
in the District;
- provide a basis for co-ordinating public and private development
and for investment decisions.
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| 1.9 |
Proposals for development will be subject
to assessment against all the relevant policies in the Plan. |
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Key stages of Plan preparation |
| 1.10 |
The main stages and associated timescale
for the preparation of this Local Plan are outlined below: |
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- Issues Report (February 2000)
- the First Draft Deposit Plan (January 2003)
- the Revised Draft Plan (October 2004)
- Public Consultation (October - November 2004)
- Consideration of representations received (Winter 2005)
- Non-statutory plan (approved by the Council as an Interim Guide
for Development Control December 2005)
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Written Statement |
| 1.11 |
Whilst recognising that this plan is non
statutory, it remains in the format of a local plan for ease of reference
and clarity. The Written Statement (this document) includes the Council's
policies and proposals together with a reasoned justification and
explanation for their inclusion. The policies and proposals are distinguished
by being in bold type and have a reference number. |
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Proposals Map |
| 1.12 |
The Proposals Map illustrates each of
the detailed policies and proposals in the Written Statement in a
precise manner on an Ordnance Survey base. Sites are identified for
particular developments or land uses and areas are defined within
which particular policies will apply for controlling development.
The reference numbers are used to relate areas on the Map to the written
policies and proposals. |
| 1.13 |
The Proposals Map is at a scale of 1:50,000,
and in order to show certain areas more clearly a number of Inset
Maps have been prepared at a larger scale. Where Insets are used their
boundaries are clearly shown on the Proposals Map. |
| 1.14 |
The Proposals Map and the Inset Maps for
Cade Street, Crowborough, Crowborough Town Centre, Hailsham, Hailsham
Town Centre, Heathfield, Hellingly, Lower Horsebridge, North Hailsham,
Old Heathfield, Polegate, Polegate Town Centre, Uckfield, Uckfield
Town Centre and Willingdon are found in a pocket at the end of this
document. All other Insets are bound within the document. |
| 1.15 |
Whilst not actually forming part of this
Plan, the Council has adopted certain supplementary planning guidance
to supplement the policies and proposals in the adopted Wealden Local
Plan. |
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