Local Development Documents (LDDs)

The Local Development Documents (LDDs) set out the council's spatial strategy, policies and site proposals for the development and other use of land.

They can apply borough-wide or can be specific to particular sites or areas. They can also expand on policies or provide additional detail.

LDDs are divided into two categories:

• Development Plan Documents (DPDs) describe policies for development of land, and are used in making planning decisions. DPDs include the core strategy, generic development control policies, site-specific allocations of land, and area action plans (where required). A Proposals Map illustrating spatial allocation of land will accompany the DPDs.
• Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) provide additional guidance for making planning decisions, by expanding policies or providing further detail. They can be thematic or site-specific, and may take the form of design guidelines, development briefs or issue-based documents.

Local Development Documents (LDDs) are prepared as required, according to changes in general policy direction, and site-specific changes, but also must be updated regularly.

The council is still completing work on its Replacement Unitary Development Plan; once approved, work on the preparation of LDDs will begin.

For further information on the system, or on Local Development Frameworks, please see the Department of Communities and Local Government's Planning Policy Statements.