The Planning Policy Team is responsible for the forward planning of the District and the monitoring of development.  A key responsibility is for the preparation of a development plan comprising policies, land-use allocations and maps in order to guide development to the right places and avoid inappropriate development from taking place.  This is the basis upon which planning applications are considered.
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Adopted Local Plan
The current Local Plan, the Braintree District Local Plan Review, was adopted by the Council on 25th July 2005.  It provides a framework for the development of the Braintree District.  All of the plan, except for 11 policies which expired on 24.7.08, is saved until 2011, or until it is replaced in whole, or part, by the Local Development Framework documents as they are produced.
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Local Development Framework - LDF Timetable

The Local Development Framework Panel considers reports on the Core Strategy and other policy issues - link to LDF Panel agendas and reports

The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 introduced major changes to the way in which the plan-making system operates.  Instead of the previous system of County Structure Plans and Local Plans, there is a new system of Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS) prepared by regional planning bodies and Local Development Frameworks (LDF) prepared by local planning authorities. The Local Development Framework is a portfolio of planning documents, as listed below.

- Local Development Scheme (LDS)
- Statement of Community Involvement (SCI)
- Proposals Map (DPD)
- Core Strategy (DPD)
- Development Control Policies (DPD)
- Allocations Document (DPD)
- Annual Monitoring Report (AMR)

The above-mentioned documents are supported by the Evidence Base

- Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) / Sustainability Appraisal (SA) - The purpose of the SEA/SA is to assess the likely effects of a plan or programme on the environment, and the likely social, environmental and economic impacts of implementing the proposed plans and programmes.

- Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD) - supplementary to the Local Development Framework (LDF), set out in more detail how policies will be applied.
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Other Planning Information

- Regional Planning (the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) - "East of England Plan")
- Village Design Statements - advisory documents produced by village communities to identify local character and set out design advice to help guide new development. Braintree District Council has approved a number of Village Design Statements as material planning considerations, (which will be taken into account in determining planning applications.)

- Monitoring
- Residential Land Availability - an annual assessment of dwellings completed during the monitoring period, outstanding dwellings permissions, and estimates of remaining vacant land allocated for residential development in the Local Plan.
- Non-Residential Land Availability - an annual assessment of certain non-residential use classes, including employment and retail, premises completed during the monitoring period, outstanding permissions, and estimates of remaining vacant land allocated for non-residential uses in the Local Plan

Updated 11/1/2010