Planning policy

Planning policy is a very difficult area to get to grips with. It's even difficult for the professionals and little wonder this Government wants to simplify it, though that excuse is being given for a brazen attempt to undermine the system and remove safeguards.

The way that development takes place within Kirklees has to be in accordance with a development plan. When planning officers are considering a planning application they look at what the development plan says, usually.

The last development plan was the Kirklees Unitary Development Plan or UDP but this only survives in a shortened form as it is being overtaken by a new plan called the Local Development Framework (LDF). This new system was actually introduced in 2004 and was supposed to be simpler than the old system, but is actually much more complicated in practice.

As part of its LDF the council has to produce a Statement of Community Involvement,(SCI) setting out how the council will consult with the people of Kirklees as to what its plans should be at each stage. This statement was finalised in 2008. (CHECK}.

The new LDF comprises of two main elements;

                          (1) A Core Strategy

                          (2) Topic based Development Plan Documents or DPDs.

Currently (2009 - 2012) Kirklees Council is attempting to complete its Core Strategy. Every subject which the council has to have a plan for gets a chapter in the Core Strategy to set out the main principles - the strategy. As two of the main subjects are Housing and Employment these dominate the Core Strategy.

In early 2011 the council published its revised Core Strategy and, it says, consulted with the people of Kirkees as set out in its SCI. It then digested the comments it received, made a few minor changes here and there and republished the document in October. In November Labour, Green and Liberal councillors agreed to ignore the protests and objections about certain Housing and Employment proposals and approved the document for submission to the Government.

By Government we mean the Planning Inspectorate. This is a Government office but its Inspectors are independent, but of course they too have to abide by the lawful process and what planning policies the Government espouses.