Presentation by Robert Hobbs, Planning Policy Team Leader at Ipswich Borough Council, given at a seminar organised by Barefoot & Gilles Development Consultancy 10 May 2012. More details: http://bgdc.co.uk

1. Localism Act 2011 and Plan Making
Robert Hobbs
Planning Policy Team Leader
10th May 2012

2. Introduction
• Local Plans replace LDF
• Abolition of Regional Spatial Strategies
• Duty to co-operate introduced
• Neighbourhood Plans
• Authority Monitoring Report
• Community Infrastructure Levy
• Major Infrastructure Unit at PINS

3. Local Plans
Local Development Framework
• Core Strategy and Policies (Adopted 2011)
• IP-One Area Action Plan (Draft 2007)
• Site Allocations and Policies (Draft 2007)
Local Plan
• One single document or a number of documents

4. Ipswich Development Plan
Currently
• Core Strategy and Policies (2011)
• Saved Policies in Ipswich Local Plan (1997)
• Proposals Map
Proposed
• Core Strategy and Policies (2011)
• IP-One Action Plan (2014)
• Site Allocations and Polices (2014)
• Proposals Map

5. Core Strategy and Policies
• Sets out the strategy for the development of the town
• Includes policies to guide and manage development
• Policies are underpinned by evidence base studies

6. IP-One Area Action Plan
• Sets out the vision for an urban renaissance for a
large part of central Ipswich
• Area Action Plans can be used to stimulate
regeneration
• It will locate specific land uses as well as providing
design guidelines

7. Site Allocations and Policies
• Will identify allocations of land for specific types of
development
• Will highlight land that is the subject of designations
that means it will be protected

8. Proposals Map
• Core Strategy and Policies
Followed by what is left on:
• Ipswich Local Plan
The latter will eventually be replaced by:
• IP-One Area Action Plan
• Site Allocations and Policies

9. Supplementary Planning Documents
• Can be theme-based providing additional detail to
support the implementation of policies in the DPDs or
site development briefs
• The Northern Fringe Area Development Brief is an
example of one of these SPDs

10. Regional Spatial Strategy
• East of England Plan (2008)
• Informed production of Core Strategy
• Evidence behind Plan still relevant
• Key focus of Government was on housing
• East of England Plan much more than that
• To be abolished sometime in 2012

11. National Policy Guidance
• National Planning Policy Framework
Replaces:
– Planning Policy Guidance Notes
– Planning Policy Statements (except PPS10) and
new PPS on Gypsies and Travellers introduced
– Some Circulars
Introduces:
– Fourth test of soundness
• Plan must be positively prepared

12. Sub-regional Planning
• Ipswich Policy Area
– Ipswich Borough Council
– Babergh District Council
– Mid Suffolk District Council
– Suffolk Coastal District Council
– Suffolk County Council
– Haven Gateway Partnership (Growth Point)

13. Sub-regional Planning
Ipswich Policy Area
• Focus on employment and housing
• Duty to co-operate
• Members and officers meet regularly
County Area
• Suffolk along with Norfolk part of New Anglia Local
Enterprise Partnership

14. Local Plan Review
• Core Strategy Review begins March 2013
• Informed by Census data
• Re-visits population and housing data
• Currently housing target of 700 dwellings per annum
assessed
• Remains a growth strategy

15. Further Considerations
Neighbourhood Plans
• Areas to be established by community and approved
by the Council
• Have to be in conformity with strategic elements of
Local Plan
• Decided by referendum
NPPF
• Focus on employment and housing growth