Local Development Scheme

Purposes of the Local Development Scheme

The Local Development Scheme (LDS) has four main purposes:

To identify and describe the documents which the Council intends to prepare as part of its Local Development Framework
To explain their relationship to other plans and strategies
To set out the timetable leading to their adoption
To explain how the existing development plan - the UDP - will be phased out

The two main types of planning documents covered in the LDS are:

Development Plan Documents (DPDs)
Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs)

Update on timetable for preparation of DPDs and SPDs

Since the publication of the current LDS in April 2007 it has become apparent that the timetables for preparation of both Development Plan Documents (DPDs) and Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) have slipped. In addition, significant concerns over the potential soundness of the Core Strategy DPD emerged during October 2008 and as a result that document was withdrawn. Go to the following pages for the latest position on each DPD:

Core Strategy DPD - withdrawn December 2008 with future structure under review
Walker Riverside Area Action Plan DPD - adopted April 2007
Benwell Scotswood Area Action Plan DPD - under examination
City Centre Area Action Plan DPD - under review
Site Specific Land Allocations DPD - under reiview
Development Control Policies DPD - under review

A review of Supplementary Planning Documents (DPDs) is also underway and proposals for these will be published as soon as possible alongside those for DPDs. We hope to take a report to Committee with a draft revised LDS in March 2009.

The current reviews are taking on board changes to the statutory processes for LDFs. These were introduced in July 2008 through a revised Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 12 and associated existing regulations and amendments to them. These are explained on the Planning Advisory Service website.

Current LDS - as came into effect on 27 April 2007

A revised version of the LDS was submitted to the Government Office for the North East (GONE) on 29 March 2007. GONE confirmed by letter dated 3 April 2007 that the Secretary of State did not intend to intervene in the process. The LDS therefore came into effect on 27 April 2007. It can be downloaded here:

LDS as came into effect on 27 April 2007 (PDF, opens in new window, 671 kb)

The following links will let you download the letter from GONE, the document as submitted and the related committee report and appendices as archive material:

First version of LDS - as came in to effect March 2005 - now superseded

The Council approved its first LDS and submitted it to GONE in February 2005. It came into effect on March 2005 but has been superseded by the new version (see above) of April 2007. You can download a copy of the first LDS using the link below: