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.

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 (see paragraphs below).

Adopted Local Plan

- Braintree District Local Plan Review.
- Inspector's Report.

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. A local development framework is a portfolio of planning documents, as listed below.

- Local Development Framework
- LDF- Evidence Base
- 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)
- Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) / Sustainability Appraisal (SA)
- Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD)

- Monitoring
- Residential Land Availability
- Non-Residential Land Availability

- Consultations


Other Planning Information

Essex & Southend-on-Sea Structure Plan Saved Policies: -
- ESSEX & SOUTHEND-ON-SEA STRUCTURE PLAN (ADOPTED 2001)

Most of the planning policies contained in the Adopted Structure Plan expired on 27th September 2007 and are therefore no longer in effect.  This is a consequence of the provisions of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.

However, the Secretary of State has decided that a limited number of Adopted Structure Plan policies should be 'saved' and should continue to apply after this date.

She has issued a statutory Direction to this effect, since amended to reflect the proposed approval of the East of England Plan on 12th May 2008.  These six saved policies are: -

NR3 - Extension of Suffolk Coasts/Heaths AONB (in Tendring District)
CC1 - Undeveloped Coast: Coastal Protection Belt
BIW9 - Airport Development
LRT6 - Coastal Water Recreation
EG1 - Proposals for New Power Stations
MIN4 - Sterilisation & Safeguarding of Minerals Sites

These saved policies above will continue to be a material consideration for the purposes of local planning and development control decisions.  These policies have a transitional status and remain in force until they are replaced by Development Plan Documents adopted by district planning authorities.

- Regional Planning
- Village Design Statements