LDF latest news
As the Local Development Scheme (LDS) timetable is out of date, due to a number of factors, a Revision to the LDS has been drafted and is being discussed with the Government Office for the East of England region (Go-East).
The draft LDS Revision envisages collection of the required LDF Evidence Base (sometimes referred to as "front-loading" the LDF) to continue to about the end of 2010. This would include the completion of a Strategic Housing Land Assessment (SHLAA) and a Water Cycle Study: both lengthy pieces of work.
The draft LDS Revision also envisages the main public consultation stages of the LDF taking place quite some time later, to allow for completion of the Evidence Base, the preparation of options and alternatives, and the Sustainability Appraisal / Strategic Environmental Assessments.
Once a LDS Revision is agreed and approved, it will be placed on this website as soon as possible. Those people, organisations and companies who are on the Council's LDF mailing list will be informed of the LDS Revision at that time.
What is the Statement of Community Involvement?
The Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) sets out how and when anyone with an interest in planning in the district can have his or her say on the following issues:
The SCI formalises proposals for consulting the public on planning matters, and builds on Planning Service's existing consultation practices.
Following the consultation on the draft SCI held earlier this year (see earlier news item on the SCI), the SCI was revised in light of the comments received. On October 22nd 2009 Council approved the SCI which will now be used by Planning Services to guide its consultations.
View the Statement of Community Involvement.
Government requires each Council to assess the amount of land that is available for housing development in their area as part of their Local development Framework (LDF).
This process is known as a Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA). The SHLAA will provide part of the evidence base to support the delivery of sufficient land to meet the targets for more homes in the District.
The SHLAA methodology was produced in accordance with Government guidance in Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing (November 2006) and the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessments Practice Guidance (July 2007).
Stakeholders were invited to comment upon the draft methodology, which was revised in light of the comments received. Cabinet approved the methodology on 15 October 2009.
View the SHLAA methodology and the results of the consultation here.
In 2007 and 2008, as part of preparing the Local Development Framework (LDF), Basildon Council conducted a Call for Sites exercise which invited landowners and developers to propose land they felt was suitable for future development.
As a result, 400 sites, covering land equivalent in size to over 1500 football pitches have been put forward.
Each of the proposed sites will now be assessed and subjected to environmental screening, after which only the most appropriate and realistic sites will be selected for possible inclusion in the LDF.
View the Call for Sites 2008 Results
View the Call for Sites 2007 Results
The Council received over 2000 individual responses to its Core Strategy Issues Report Consultation, conducted over six weeks between 22nd October and 30th November 2007.
The results of the Core Strategy Issues Consultation will be taken into account during the next stage in the of production of the Core Strategy, which will involve the development of a range of options to deal with the issues raised
You can either view the online version of the report and the full comments submitted to each question online at: Issues Paper Consultation”
Alternatively, you can view/download the PDF versions of the following documents:
Core Strategy Issues Paper [4Mb] - Consultation document. Core Strategy Issues Consultation Results [908kb] - Summary of the comments submitted and results of a Citizens' Panel Survey.Copies of the Summary are also available from the District's main Libraries, as well as St Georges Housing Offices and Planning Reception in the the Council's Basildon Centre offices.
Documents can also be requested by contacting the Forward Plans team directly on 01268 294748.
Some of the key issues (e.g. local housing, the economy, etc) need to be looked at more closely to make sure that the decisions taken in the Core Strategy are the most appropriate and to focus the Core Strategy's consultations.
Some of the research into these key issues include:
Basildon District Basildon District Retail Capacity Study - March 2007 [1Mb] - being carried out by Nathaniel Litchfield & Partners
The report on this five week consultation sets out how the Council intends to undertake the Sustainability Appraisal (SA) of the Core Strategy, incorporating, where appropriate, the requirements of the 'European Directive 2001/42/EC on the Assessment of the Effects of Certain Plans and Programmes on the Environment', otherwise known as Strategic Environmental Assessment.
The representations from this consultation are currently being analysed.