Development plan documents

Local plan part 2: site allocations and development policies

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At the Full Council meeting on 9 December 2021, Council decided not to proceed with the submission of the Pendle Local Plan Part 2. This was because of concerns that it did not reflect the impact that Brexit and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have had for businesses, future economic growth and housing need in the borough.

We are now reviewing the Core Strategy, adopted in 2015. Where necessary, we will commission new evidence to help us prepare a new single Local Plan. Details of the review process and our projected timetable will be made available in a future update of the Council’s Local Development Scheme (LDS).

What is the Site Allocations and Development Policies Development Plan Document?

It is a document that helps us deliver the right type of development, in the right place and at the right time. It:

  • allocates land for specific types of development (e.g. housing or employment land)
  • identifies areas of land where development will be resisted (e.g. Green Belt, open countryside) or required to meet higher design standards (e.g. conservation areas).
  • include detailed planning policies which: 
    • provide applicants and developers with information about the design features we expect to see in new development
    • give planning officers the information they need to help them to decide whether to approve, or refuse, applications for planning permission

What have we done so far?

The Scoping Report and Methodology for the preparation of the Local Plan Part 2 was approved on Thursday, 24 August 2017.

Four separate Calls for Sites provided an opportunity for the public, landowners, agents and developers to:

  • suggest possible development sites to the Council
  • an opportunity for people to comment in the sites submitted for consideration.

Over 300 sites have been assessed to inform the selection of sites we propose to allocate for future development in Local Plan Part 2.

The Council has determined that, in accordance with the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004, the Local Plan Part 2: Site Allocations and Development Policies is likely to have significant environmental effects and that a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is required. 

A public consultation to consider the first draft of the plan - known as the Preferred Options Report - was held between Friday 12 February 2021 and Tuesday 6 April 2021.

Earlier stages