The Local Development Framework (LDF) is a set of planning documents containing policies that will guide development in North Somerset up to 2026. Between them they will:
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Set out the overall strategy for the development of North Somerset up to 2026
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Allocate sites for housing, businesses, facilities and services as well as protecting our valued places
The purpose of the planning system is to encourage sustainable development. In part this means co-ordinating the growth of communities and facilities.
THe LDF is key to enabling those community services and facilities that have been identified by the North Somerset Partnership (NSP), through its Sustainable Community Strategy, to actually be put into practice. The Development Plan Documents which will form the LDF will bring together the spatial and community planning processes.
Where buildings/land are needed to meet the identified needs these can be included in the LDF. By recognising these in the LDF it will provide certainty to the community and service providers by preventing the land or buildings being developed for any other uses.
These documents will be prepared under a new planning system that came into force in 2004. They will replace the North Somerset Replacement Local Plan which covers every aspect of planning throughout the district and which currently includes sites and policies to promote community services and facilities up to 2011. Work on preparing the LDF documents began in 2005. The Local Development Scheme gives details of which documents will be produced and when.
