Production of the Local Plan
The Local Plan 2033 is not just about new homes but also ensures that housing growth is supported by infrastructure, jobs and community facilities. The Council worked with key stakeholders such as the NHS, education and highways authorities to ensure that vital community facilities such as schools, GP surgeries and roads and public transport links are in place to support existing residents as well as new communities. Open spaces and community facilities are also protected and new spaces and facilities are supported.
An important part of the Plan is promoting economic growth and prosperity in the District. The Plan ensures that land is available to support new employment areas and that the right jobs can be provided in the right places for local residents.
2014 - Call for sites
What was the Call For Sites?
The 'Call for Sites' was an opportunity for developers, landowners and other interested parties to put forward to the Council sites for development within Braintree District that they believed could be suitable for development for homes, jobs or other uses. The site suggestions received by us were used to begin the preparation of the new Local Plan.
The call for sites did not determined if a site should be allocated for development. It was a technical exercise aimed at identifying potential sites for development. All proposals were considered, but not all sites put forward were included in the new Local Plan. The Council received many more submissions than it required to meet housing need and not all sites were considered suitable for development.
The Call for Sites was held from August until 5 pm on Friday, 24 October 2014. Further sites were accepted during the Issues and Scoping consultation held in early 2015. Further sites were submitted during subsequent consultations as objections to the plan.
Working with adjacent authorities.
Braintree District Council worked closely with adjacent authorities to meet the duty to co-operate on cross-boundary strategic issues, such as meeting housing need. This work included the consideration of larger sites to meet the combined housing need of authorities in a sustainable way. The Council accordingly worked with adjacent authorities to evaluate proposals for land close to the District boundaries that could potentially form part of a cross-boundary development.
2015 - Issues and Scoping
The Issues and Scoping consultation was the first stage of public participation.
- This was the first opportunity for residents, businesses and interested parties to help shape the new Local Plan by telling us what is important to you.
- We also wanted to make people aware of the increase in the scale of new development that the District is required to accommodate.
- The Local Plan Issues and Scoping document highlighted a number of key issues for the District and possible options to address them. It is designed to stimulate discussion.
- The Issues and Scoping document did not allocate specific sites for development.
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The consultation ran from 26 January to 5 pm on 6 March 2015
Issues and Scoping Report 2015
2016 - Draft Local Plan
The Braintree District Draft Local Plan was approved for consultation by Council on 20 June 2016 and between 27 June and 19 August 2016, we asked for your views on the Draft Local Plan 2016 and the sites and policies contained within it.
Responses and amendments to the Draft Local Plan were made.
Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) 2016 update
One of the main requirements in the NPPF is for local authorities to significantly boost their supply of housing and this applies across the Country. A document called a Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) helps the Council work out how many houses are needed and of what type. Following an update in November 2016 the Local Plan target for new homes in the District is based on an annual average of 716 homes for the plan period 2013-2033.
2017 - Publication Draft Local Plan and Submission to the Planning Inspectorate
The Publication Draft Local Plan was approved for a Regulation 19 Consultation and Submission by Council On June 5th 2017. The Local Plan Publication Draft Plan Consultation ran from 16th June - 28th July 2017. The Plan was then submitted to the Planning Inspectorate on 9th October 2017 along with minor modifications made post consultation.
The document was submitted in two parts:
- Section 1 - Strategic Plan for North Essex - including the Garden Communities (This document is shared with Colchester Borough Council and Tendring District Council)
- Section 2 - Policies, maps and sites for development, housing, employment, regeneration etc within Braintree District Council
Further work post submission:
Section 1 - See Section 1 Examination
Section 2 - See Section 2 Examination
Main Stages of Production of the Local Plan 2033:
| Date | Stage |
|---|---|
| August and October 2014 | Call for Sites. |
| January 12th 2015 | LDF Sub Committee meeting. |
| January 26th to 6th March 2015 | Issues and Scoping document Published for consultation. |
| December 2015/January 2016 | Consideration of detail policies by the Local Plan Sub-Committee. |
| February-May 2016 | Potential development sites considered by the Local Plan Sub-Committee. Various Dates. |
| Ongoing to June 2017 | Collection and consideration of evidence documents to support the new Local Plan including on landscape, open space, economic development and highways. |
| 20th June 2016 | Draft preferred options considered by Council. |
| 27th June to 19th August 2016 | 8 week public consultation period on the draft Local Plan. |
| September 2016 to May 2017 | Consideration of public consultation responses to the draft Local Plan and revisions to the Plan as appropriate. Various Local Plan Sub-committee dates. |
| 5th June 2017 | Council consideration of the Pre Submission Draft Local Plan. |
| 16th June to 28th July 2017 | Public consultation of the Publication Draft Local Plan (Section 1 & 2). |
| 9th October 2017 | Local Plan Submitted to Planning Inspectorate for consideration |
| Late 2017 to Summer 2019 | Section 1 Examination by the Planning Inspector |
| January 2018 | Examination hearings |
| January 2020 | Further Hearing Sessions |
| Autumn 2020 | Section 1 - Inspectors report |
| Winter 2021 | Section 1 adopted |
| July 2021 | Section 2 - Hearing |
| Autumn/Winter 2021 | Section 2 - Inspectors report and consultation |
| 25th July 2022 | Adoption of the Local Plan Section 2 by the Council |
Duty to Co-operate and the New Local Plan
The Duty to Co-operate was established in the Localism Act (2011). It places a legal obligation on local planning authorities, county council in England and public bodies to engage constructively, actively and on an ongoing basis to maximise the effectiveness of local Plan preparation in the context of strategic cross boundary matters.
The statement sets out how Braintree District Council will deal with its obligations under the Duty.
Statement of Duty to Co-operate July 2017
Page updated February 2024
