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| Local Development Frameworks | |
|---|---|
| Name | Local Development Frameworks |
| Jurisdiction | Localities |
| Launched | Various |
Local Development Frameworks
Local Development Frameworks are strategic planning systems used to coordinate urban planning initiatives, align regional policy with local authorities, and guide land use decisions across municipalities, boroughs and districts. They integrate statutory instruments such as the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, funding mechanisms like the European Regional Development Fund, and administrative actors including local councils, mayoral offices, and planning inspectors, producing frameworks that link spatial strategies, economic regeneration and infrastructure investment.
A Local Development Framework defines spatial strategy for a specified area and sets priorities compatible with statutory plans such as the National Planning Policy Framework and regional strategies exemplified by the London Plan and the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework. It encompasses policy documents including core strategies, site allocations documents, and supplementary planning documents that together inform decisions by stakeholders like housing associations, transport authorities, and utility regulators. The scope typically covers land use, housing delivery linked to Housing Act 1985 obligations, commercial development influenced by European Investment Bank projects, and environmental protection aligned with directives such as the Habitats Directive and the Water Framework Directive.
Origins trace to statutory reforms following the Town and Country Planning Act 1947 and later consolidation under reforms like the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and the Localism Act 2011. The evolution responded to shifts signaled by reports including the Barker Review of Housing Supply and initiatives such as the Sustainable Communities Plan and the Urban Task Force recommendations. International influences include models from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, the World Bank, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development which shaped practices in coastal regions, post-industrial cities and metropolitan counties.
Core components include strategic plans analogous to the Regional Spatial Strategy framework, development management policies informed by Planning Policy Guidance and environmental appraisals under the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive. Methodologies employ spatial analysis using tools from the Ordnance Survey, economic appraisal techniques promoted by the Treasury Green Book, viability assessment drawn from RICS guidance, and participatory methods championed by Community Planning Partnerships and NGOs like Shelter and Friends of the Earth. Technical inputs derive from transport modelling used by Transport for London, flood risk assessment standards adopted from the Environment Agency, and heritage impact assessments coordinated with Historic England.
Governance arrangements feature elected bodies such as county councils, unitary authorities, and combined authorities with mayors like those in Greater London or Greater Manchester, working alongside quasi-judicial bodies including the Planning Inspectorate and adjudicators linked to the Supreme Court via judicial review. Policy alignment demands coordination with national departments such as the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and agencies including the Homes and Communities Agency and the Department for Transport. Institutional roles also involve statutory consultees like Natural England, stakeholder networks including Chambers of Commerce and professional bodies such as the Royal Town Planning Institute.
Implementation routes draw on public investment programs from the National Infrastructure Commission, private sector delivery through public–private partnerships involving entities like Development Corporations and mechanisms such as Tax Increment Financing and Community Infrastructure Levy. Financing sources mix capital grants from European Social Fund legacy arrangements, borrowing under Prudential Borrowing regimes, and market finance accessed via instruments promoted by the European Investment Bank and private investors including pension funds. Delivery often requires land assembly powers enshrined in instruments like the Compulsory Purchase Act 1965 and contractual frameworks managed under Construction (Design and Management) Regulations.
Notable examples include the London Plan for megacity governance, the Cambridge Local Plan for expansion management, the Glasgow City Region City Deal for metropolitan economic coordination, and the Tees Valley Combined Authority approach to industrial regeneration. International comparisons feature Copenhagen Municipality for integrated cycling infrastructure planning, Portland, Oregon for urban growth boundaries, and Singapore for centralized master planning by agencies like the Urban Redevelopment Authority. Comparative analysis often references projects funded by the European Regional Development Fund and assessed in reports by the World Bank and OECD.
Critiques address democratic deficits raised by commentators including Joseph Stiglitz-style economists, legal challenges seen in cases before the High Court, tension with private property rights framed under rulings by the European Court of Human Rights, and implementation problems highlighted in audits by the National Audit Office. Practical challenges include balancing growth pressures documented in the Barker Review of Housing Supply with conservation obligations under the National Trust stewardship, coordinating cross-boundary issues among shire counties and metropolitan areas, and securing long-term financing amid fiscal constraints imposed by HM Treasury.
Category:Planning