North Dorset District Council Planning Policy

The Planning Policy Team is responsible for preparing documents that set out the councils approach to the management of development in the district. The planning system in England and Wales follows a plan-led system. This involves preparing plans containing policies that explain what can be built and where.

The system was updated by an Act of Parliament (the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act) in December 2004 which required local authorities to replace their Local Plans with a process known as the 'Local Development Framework'.

Latest news

Consultation on the New Plan [3Mb] (opens in a new window) for North Dorset took place between 15 March and 14 May 2010. We received nearly 1,800 responses and are currently analysing all the comments made. Following this a report summarising the key issues raised will be prepared for consideration by district councillors, it will also suggest ways in which the New Plan could be amended in the light of the comments made.

The Local Plan
The current plan for North Dorset is the District Wide Local Plan which was adopted by the council in January 2003. It comprises a written statement and a set of proposals maps that cover the whole district.
Local Development Framework
The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 came into effect in September 2004. It Involves changes to the planning system, including the way development plans are prepared. Structure plans will be phased out and planning at regional and district level will become more important.
Evidence and other planning documents
The Local Development Documents (LDDs) that the council will produce as part of its Local Development Framework (LDF) must be soundly based in terms of their content being based upon a robust, credible evidence base.