Although the LDF is very similar to the Local Plan in its purpose - addressing Dover’s planning and development issues through land allocations for different uses and policies for dealing with different issues such as housing and environmental protection there are important differences:
Spatial planning - LDFs have a broader remit than their Local Plan predecessors which were mainly concerned with land use issues;
Format - The format of the LDF will be very different from that of the adopted Local Plan. Rather than one large document, the LDF is a ‘folder’ containing a number of different documents (called Local Development Documents). This format means that the LDF is more flexible and relevant to the District as each document can be changed or individually updated over time and other documents can be added as the need arises.
Process - The LDF system encourages everyone with an interest in planning to be fully involved at the outset and for the District Council to make major decisions early on. These decisions are based upon our evidence base (statistical information, research etc) and the views of interested parties. The remainder of the process is more concerned with refinement and adjustment rather than major change. This leads to a public examination (held by an independent Inspector) into the soundness of the LDF. The Inspector's Report is binding upon the Council and unlike the Local Plan system, there is no modifications procedure. The whole process of preparing a LDF document is underpinned by a rigorous sustainability appraisal.
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Contact: Adrian Fox
Tel: 01304 872474
E-mail: forwardplanning@dover.gov.uk
