East Dorset District Council Local Plan

The East Dorset local plan was adopted on 11th January 2002 and provides planning policy for the whole district up to the year 2011.

The East Dorset local plan covers the administrative area of East Dorset. The plan is made within the framework set by the Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole structure plan. Like the structure plan, the local plan has a 'base date' of 1994 for calculating the levels of development and has an 'end date' of 2011. Together the regional spatial strategy, the structure plan, the East Dorset local plan and the Dorset minerals and waste local plan make up the development plan for the area.

East Dorset local plan online

The East Dorset Local Plan map (opens in a new window) is available online. These maps are fully interactive, can be searched by address and are linked to the text for each policy.

In the map window, instructions for the use of the buttons at the top of the map screen are given by hovering the mouse over each of the buttons individually. The 'info click tool' will enable you to check which policies relate to a point on the map. There is also the 'local plan policy report tool', which upon clicking a point on the map, generates a downloadable pdf report containing a map extract and text of the policies relating to that specific point.

Purchasing and viewing the East Dorset local plan

Details of how the East Dorset local plan can be viewed or purchased are available, along with downloads for the text of the plan, using the link to Purchasing and viewing the East Dorset Local Plan

Supplementary planning guidance

Supplementary planning guidance (SPG) provides information to help in the use of local plan policies for specific sites or issues. For further details of what is available for East Dorset District Council, please use the link to Supplementary planning guidance.

Local development frameworks

The Government has introduced major changes to the planning system with the introduction of the Planning & Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. Local plans and parts of the county structure plan will be replaced by a system of local development frameworks (LDFs). The new LDF system will comprise a number of related planning documents (local development documents) focusing on a wide range of issues and geographical areas. For details of the East Dorset local development framework, please use the link to East Dorset District Council Local Development Framework.

Saved local plan policies

The Planning & Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 allowed local planning authorities to save Local Plan policies for an initial three-year period until replaced by new policies in Local Development Frameworks. This initial period expired in September 2007.

In March 2007, East Dorset District Council submitted to the Secretary of State a list (schedule of policies) of which current local plan policies it wished to retain beyond September 2007, and which it considered could be deleted as they had either been implemented or repeated national or regional policy.

A response from the Secretary of State has been received. They have included a schedule with the letter confirming the policies to be saved, which differs slightly to those originally submitted by East Dorset District Council.

The Local Plan text has been updated to highlight the policies that have been deleted. This revised text can be downloaded using the link to Purchasing and viewing the East Dorset Local Plan.

EDDC Saved Policy Request March 2007 (pdf, 696kb) (opens in a new window)

SoS Saved Policies Response - LETTER (pdf, 53kb) (opens in a new window)

SoS Saved Policies Response - SCHEDULE (pdf, 100kb) (opens in a new window)

Dorset Heathlands interim planning framework

Local planning authorities in South East Dorset have produced a planning framework to manage pressures on sensitive heathlands resulting from development. The purpose of the framework is to ensure that there is no net increase in urban pressures on the heaths as a result of additional residential development between 400 metres and 5 kilometres of heathland. The interim planning framework demonstrates how harm to the protected heathlands can be avoided. Further information and details of the document can be found using the link to Dorset Heathlands Planning Framework.

South East Dorset Transport Contributions Scheme

The South East Dorset Transport Contributions Scheme provides guidance on the financial contributions that will be sought from developers towards implementing the transport strategies set out in policy documents of South East Dorset. These contributions will be used towards alleviating the additional pressures new development has on the South East Dorset transport network. For East Dorset, the scheme will operate from 1 January 2010 for 18 years, or until such time a replacement scheme is adopted.

Review of the South East Dorset Transport Contributions Scheme

East Dorset District Council jointly with Bournemouth, Christchurch, Dorset County and Poole Councils have been reviewing the South East Dorset Transport Contributions Scheme. This review is now published for consultation for six weeks from 9 November 2011 until 22 December 2011. The document and a series of consultation questions are available online through the South East Dorset Transport Contributions Scheme consultation portal (opens in a new window) . Copies are also available to view at council offices and local libraries.

The results of the significant three year South East Dorset Multi Modal Transport Study (SEDMMTS) were published in 2011 to guide and clarify future transport investment decisions in the South East Dorset region to meet the growth requirements. The South East Dorset Transport Contributions Scheme has been revised in recognition of this work and views on the revisions are sought.