Local Development Scheme

The Local Development Scheme provides an overview of what the planning policies are for the Leeds district, and sets out the current documents which form the Local Plan for the district.

It also sets out a detailed programme for the preparation of Local Development Documents, and progress of neighbourhood plans including timetables, which tell people when the various stages in the preparation of the Local Development documents will be carried out.

A Local Development Scheme is required under section 15 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended by the Localism Act 2011).

Local Development Scheme 2023 to 2026

June 2023

1 Introduction

1.1 The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act (2004) and national planning policy place Local Plans at the heart of the planning system. They set out a vision and a framework for the future development of an area, addressing needs and opportunities in relation to housing, the economy, community facilities and infrastructure – as well as mitigating and adapting to climate change, safeguarding the environment, securing good design, mining activities, and dealing with waste. They also help guide decisions about individual development proposals, as Local Plans (together with any neighbourhood plans that have been made) form the Development Plan for Leeds and are the starting-point for considering whether applications can be approved.

1.2 National planning policy sets clear expectations as to how a Local Plan must be developed in order to be justified, effective, consistent with national policy and positively prepared to deliver sustainable development that meets local needs and national priorities.

1.3 It is also important that they are based on up to date and proportionate evidence and are kept up to date to respond to changing circumstances. Under regulation 10A of The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended) local planning authorities must review local plans, and Statements of Community Involvement at least once every 5 years from their adoption date to ensure that policies remain relevant and effectively address the needs of the local community.

1.4 A Local Development Scheme (LDS) is required under section 15 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended by the Localism Act 2011). This must specify (among other matters) the documents which, when prepared, will comprise the Local Plan for the area.

1.5 This LDS is the first point of contact for anyone wishing to find out about which planning policy documents apply to Leeds, and their status. The plan making process is complicated and can be forbidding to non-planners. To that end, this LDS clearly sets out progress on the Local Plan alongside details of a wider set of documents and evidence base documents so that local communities and interested parties can keep track of progress and wider plan making context. An up to date Statement of Community Involvement clarifies how citizens engage with planning and how planning engages with citizens of Leeds (see below).

1.6 The LDS sets out a three-year rolling programme on the timetable for preparing and reviewing documents alongside other non-statutory If monitoring of the Local Plan indicates the need to further adjust the LDS timetable or if there is a need to revise and/or prepare new planning documents in response to national planning policy or local circumstances, this will be announced on the council’s web site and the LDS will be adjusted accordingly.

1.7 The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires that local authorities establish policies relating to the development and use of land in their area in Local Development Documents. Local Development Documents (LDD) include Development Plan Documents (which form part of the statutory development plan) and Supplementary Planning Documents (which do not form part of the statutory development plan). LDDs collectively deliver the spatial planning strategy for the local planning authority's area.

1.8 All DPDs are subject to rigorous procedures of community involvement, consultation and independent examination, and adopted after receipt of an inspector's binding report. Once adopted, development management decisions must be made in accordance with them (and any other policies forming part of the development plan) unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

2 Local Development Documents

2.1 Local Development Documents collectively deliver the spatial planning strategy of the area and include the following documents:

Development Plan Documents

2.2 The Local Plan in Leeds is not a single ‘plan’ but the name given to a portfolio of documents. This approach allows greater flexibility to respond to changing circumstances, address local issues, strengthen community and stakeholder involvement in the planning process and achieve economic, environmental and social objectives, through the use of Sustainability Appraisals.

Supplementary Planning Documents

2.3 Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) are also Local Development Documents, do not form part of the statutory development plan, but do provide supplementary advice and guidance, which are material considerations in the determination of a planning SPDs are not subject to independent examination; however they are subject to community consultation procedures.

Statement of Community Involvement

2.4 A Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) was adopted by the City Council in February 2007 and updated in January 2021 on an interim basis to take account of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown and more limited consultation measures allowable. The SCI sets out the processes by which the community will be engaged in consultation on each type of document and at every stage of its The SCI also sets out how the community can engage in the consideration of major development management decisions. A full review of the SCI including public engagement was undertaken over March - April 2022. The SCI was formally adopted 8^th November 2022.

3 Other parts of the statutory Development Plan

Neighbourhood Plans

3.1 These offer local communities (via a Neighbourhood Forum or Parish/Town Council) the opportunity to prepare locally specific policies in general conformity with the strategic policies of the Local Plan. A neighbourhood plan attains the same legal status as the Local Plan once it has been approved at a referendum and before it is ‘made’ by the local planning authority (i.e. brought into legal force following an independent examination).

4 Wider Council Priorities

4.1 The Local Development Plan sits alongside other Council plans and programmes as well as those of the City Region and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

4.2 Critically the Local Development Plan is a means of translating the Council’s 3 Pillars on the ground:

Health and Well-being – through policies including the design of places, quality of housing and accessibility
Zero Carbon– through policies including the design of places, the location of development, accessibility to public transport, use of brownfield land, energy generation and energy efficiency of buildings
Inclusive Growth Strategy – through policies including the links between homes and jobs, the location of development, green infrastructure and connectivity

5 Adopted Plans

The Leeds Local Plan

Statutory planning documents together form the Local Plan for Leeds, Neighbourhood Plans and a policies map shows some of these policies on an OS map base.

Core Strategy (2014) (amended by selective review 2019)

Site Allocations Plan (2019)

Aire Valley Leeds Area Action Plan (2017)

Made Neighbourhood Plans

Natural Resources and Waste Plan (2013)

Saved policies of the Unitary Development Plan Review (2006)

Policies Map

6 Headline Plan Programme

6.1 The Local Plan is kept up to date by reviewing the policies within it to see if they need to be updated. A number of things may mean policies need to be updated, including: a change in national policy, different priorities for plans or monitoring of existing A review of existing policies is undertaken every 5 years from the adoption of each document. The first formal review was undertaken in early 2020 in consultation with Development Plan Panel in July 2020. Following this review the Council intends to update specific parts of the Local Plan. A further review was undertaken in January 2023 (focused on Aire Valley Area Action Plan policies and a update of the 2020 review to pick up on changes made through the NPPF 2021 Revisions).

Plans in Preparation

A Local Plan Update (2021) (Your Neighbourhood, Your City, Your Planet) - a selective update of the Local Plan with a proposed focus on policies for the climate emergency
Leeds Local Plan 2040 - covering areas Spatial Strategy, Housing, Economic, Development, Role of Centres, Minerals and Waste, Transport and Connectivity and Development Management Policies.
Site Allocation Plan Remittal - 39 Proposed Main Modifications to the Leeds Site Allocations Plan (concerning 37 sites) for reconsideration by the Secretary of State.
Neighbourhood Plans - (see Section 7 below which lists progress on Neighbourhood Plans)

Review Policies in Adopted Plans (see Section 11 for more detail)

The Adopted SAP sets two review policies within it.

SAP Review for Housing Allocations up to 2028 – this will be guided by SAP Policy HGR1 which seeks to ensure that sufficient land is allocated and safeguarded land designated within the SAP (to 2028) so as to comply with Core Strategy Selective Review housing requirements, which were Adopted after the SAP.

SAP Review for allocations for Gypsies and Travellers up to 2028 – this will be guided by Policy HGR2, which seeks to ensure that sufficient land for Gypsies and Travellers is provided by requiring a review of sites should the quantum of sites provided through planning applications be less than 13 as at 31st March 2023

7 Neighbourhood Plans

7.1 Neighbourhood planning gives local people direct power to develop a shared vision for their neighbourhood and shape the development and growth of their local area. Following the introduction of the Localism Act 2011 there has been a high level of interest in neighbourhood planning activities in Leeds.

7.2 As of December 2022, there were 19 ‘made’ (adopted) Neighbourhood Plans in Leeds. There are over 15 other neighbourhood planning groups, progressing neighbourhood plans, neighbourhood priority statements of reviewing existing plans. It is difficult to ascertain the speed at which individual Neighbourhood Plans will progress. The Council's Neighbourhood Plans and engagement team, provides technical advice and support on preparing Neighbourhood Plans. Additional guidance notes and progress for each Neighbourhood Plan is available on the Council’s website at: leeds.gov.uk/np

8 Supplementary Planning Documents

8.1 Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) are not part of the Local Plan but are a material consideration which carry weight when the Council makes decisions on planning SPDs build and expand on existing policies in the development plan A list of adopted SPDs can be found on the Council’s website.

8.2 The position with the following SPDs is:

Tall Buildings SPD – The original Tall Buildings Design Guide SPD was adopted in 2010 and remains extant. Consultation on a draft replacement and an associated draft Wind Microclimate Toolkit took place in July and September 2019. The revised guidance generated numerous detailed comments suggesting a significant degree of re-working or rebuttal. This, combined with the impact of the pandemic meant that the process was paused. Upon re-visiting the document it is apparent that the context has significantly changed i.e. recent proposals for the planning system and the place of SPDs within it, the national model design code and a future city-wide design code for Leeds. By contrast, the Wind Microclimate Toolkit is valuable in providing a consistent methodology and standard of detail for assessing microclimatic impact. It is easy to apply and has proved popular with agents, developers and officers. The Draft Wind Microclimate Toolkit is therefore to be endorsed and published on the website as technical guidance under the delegated authority of the Chief Planning Officer.
Transport SPD pulling together of existing SPDs (and a wider review of Section 106 contributions to highway schemes) – initial consultation held January 2020. Pre-adoption consultation took place spring 2022. Adoption January 2023.
Housing Standards for Purpose Built Student Accommodation and Homes in Multiple Occupation (supporting policy H10 Minimum Space Standards of the Core Strategy) – initial consultation completed in Spring 2021. Pre-adoption consultation to follow in Spring/Summer 2023. This is paused due to limited resources and its continuation as SPD will be considered as part of the emerging Leeds Local Plan 2040 DPD.
Leeds City Centre West: The Innovation Arc - an area to the west of the city centre which is home to many of the city's educational, healthcare and cultural institutions. Initial consultation completed December 2022. Pre-adoption consultation to follow in spring/summer 2023. Adoption Autumn 2023.

9 Risk Assessment

9.1 The preparation of the Local Development Plan allows for a flexible approach to the preparation of a range of planning The Schedule of LDDs identified in this LDS, covers a range of work, which in part reflects the complex spatial planning issues in Leeds. In managing this programme of work, an analysis of risks has been undertaken, together with the measures to manage them.

10 Local Development Document Profiles

The following profiles update the Council’s Local Development Documents as at June 2023.

Adopted DPDs

Core Strategy (2012 to 2028)

Title	Core Strategy (2012 to 2028)
Status	Adopted Development Plan Document
Role and content referred to	Sets out the overall spatial vision, strategy and core policies for the future development of Leeds between 2012 and 2028.
Geographical area	The Leeds Metropolitan District administrative area
Conformity	The Core Strategy is in general conformity with the NPPF
Production milestones	Consultation on sustainability appraisal scoping report & preparation of Issues & Alternative Options for consultation	September – December 2006
	Issues and Options Consultation	October – December 2007
	Preferred Options Consultation	October – December 2009
	Publication	February – April 2012
	Pre-Submission Changes Advertisement	January – February 2013
	Submission	April 2013
	Pre-Examination Meeting	July 2013
	Examination	October 2013 (initial sessions) March 2013 (further sessions)
	Inspector’s Report	September 2014
	Adopted	November 2014
Production actions	Lead	Policy and Plans Service
	Management	Strategic Planning
	Resources	Policy and Plans Service and additional officers throughout the Council. Database, mapping and graphic resources. Advertising, consultation arrangements and Examination costs.
	Stakeholders / Community Involvement	Statutory consultees and local community groups and organisations with an interest in the area as set out in the SCI
Post production	Following adoption, the Core Strategy has set the framework for the Council’s allocation DPDs (the Aire Valley Leeds Area Action Plan and the Site Allocations Plan). It provides a framework for development management decision taking and the preparation of SPDs. It is regularly monitored via the AMR. The Core Strategy is subject of a selective review (see separate profile).
Review due	See para 6.1

Natural Resources and Waste Plan

Title	Natural Resources and Waste Plan
Status	Adopted Development Plan Document
Role and content referred to	Provides thematic and site specific policies for Natural Resources and Waste in the District.
Geographical area	The Leeds Metropolitan District administrative area
Conformity	The Natural Resources and Waste Plan is in general conformity with the Core Strategy and the NPPF
Production milestones	Consultation on sustainability appraisal scoping report & preparation of Issues & Alternative Options for consultation	May – June 2008
	Issues and Options Consultation	January – March 2010
	Preferred Options Consultation	November 2010
	Publication	July 2011
	Submission	July 2011 Consultation on post submission changes May 2012
	Examination	November – December 2011
	Inspector’s Report	December 2012
	Adopted	January 2013
	Additional Note	Following the results of a High Court Challenge in September 2013, Minerals Policies 13 and 14 were remitted and subject to re-consultation and re- examination. They were adopted alongside the remainder of the already Adopted DPD in September 2015.
Production actions	Lead	Policy and Plans Service
	Management	Strategic Planning
	Resources	Policy and Plans Service and additional officers throughout the Council. Database, mapping and graphic resources. Advertising, consultation arrangements and Examination costs.
	Stakeholders / Community Involvement	Statutory consultees and local community groups and organisations with an interest in the area as set out in the SCI
Post production	Following adoption, the NRW Plan provides a framework for development management decision taking. It is monitored via the AMR.
Review due	See para 6.1

Policies Map LDD

Title	Policies Map LDD
Status	Adopted and updated to spatially reflect DPD policies and related notations
Role and content referred to	Illustrates the policies and proposals contained in the council’s DPDs. It identifies: saved Unitary Development Plan allocations for housing, employment and greenspace areas of protection, such as conservation areas and archaeological areas; locations and sites for particular land uses, including regeneration areas, town centres and specific site proposals; strategic designations, such as opportunity areas and transport proposals; and the road hierarchy
Geographical area	The Leeds Metropolitan District administrative area
Conformity	The Policies Map is in general conformity with the saved policies of the Unitary Development Plan Review (2006), the Aire Valley Leeds Area Action Plan (2017), Core Strategy (as amended by the Selective Review 2019), the Site Allocations Plan (2019) and the Natural Resources and Waste Plan (2013)
Production milestones	The Policies Map is updated at the Adoption of relevant DPDs
Production actions	Lead	Policy and Plans Service
	Management	Strategic Planning
	Resources	Policy and Plans Service and additional officers throughout the Council. Database, mapping and graphic resources. Web-site maintenance costs. Interactive mapping ICT costs.
	Stakeholders / Community Involvement	Statutory consultees and local community groups and organisations with an interest in the area as set out in the SCI via DPD preparation
Post production	Following adoption of DPDs the Policies Map will be updated to spatially reflect the policies within them. The Council is in the process of preparing an interactive on- line mapping resource.

Aire Valley Leeds Area Action Plan (2012 to 2028)

Title	Aire Valley Leeds Area Action Plan (2012 to 2028)
Status	Adopted Development Plan Document
Role and content referred to	Provides innovative and co-ordinated approach to the sustainable regeneration of the AVL Area (which incorporates the Enterprise Zone). Provides a framework for sustainable economic development, new housing development, social & green infrastructure and sustainable transport solutions, and implements the Core Strategy. The importance of the regeneration of AVL to the communities of East & South Leeds and the City Centre (inc. South Bank) is recognised including in securing improved connectivity / linkages and contributing to regeneration objectives of the Council and its partners.
Geographical area	The Aire Valley as defined in the Adopted Core Strategy and Policies Map and including the AVL Enterprise Zone.
Conformity	The AVLAAP is in general conformity with the Adopted Core Strategy and the NPPF
Production milestones	Initial issues report and sustainability scoping report	July 2005
	Issues and options consultation on sustainability appraisal scoping report	August – October 2005
	Consultation on alternative options	June - July 2006
	Formal pre-submission consultation on Preferred Options report, sustainability appraisal and publication of Consultation Statement	June – July 2007
	Publication	September – November 2015
	Submission	September 2016
	Examination (Hearing Sessions)	January 2017
	Advertisement of Main Modifications	May 2017
	Inspector Report	August 2017
	Adoption	November 2017
Production actions	Lead	Policy and Plans Service
	Management	Strategic Planning
	Resources	Policy and Plans and additional Council officers. Database, mapping / graphic resources. Advertising, consultation arrangements and Examination costs.
	Stakeholders / Community Involvement	Statutory consultees and local community groups and organisations with an interest in the area as set out in the SCI
Post production	Following adoption, published as part of the council’s Local Plan and the Policies Map has been updated to spatially reflect its policies and allocations. It is implemented through planning decisions on planning applications and in terms of additional planning briefs, masterplans and SPDs as necessary for specific sites and areas e.g. the South Bank Regeneration Framework SPD.
Review due	See para 6.1

Site Allocations Plan (2012 to 2028)

Title	Site Allocations Plan (2012 to 2028)
Status	Adopted Development Plan Document
Role and content referred to	To identify site allocations (covering housing, employment, retail and greenspace) to reflect the overall strategy of the Core Strategy.
Geographical area	The Leeds MD (divided into 11 Housing Market Characteristic Areas (HMCA) for the purposes of the allocations of housing). Excluding the area covered by the AVLAAP.
Conformity	The SAP will be in general conformity with the Adopted Core Strategy and the NPPF
Production milestones	Issues and options consultation	June – July 2013
	Publication	September – November 2015
	Publication of revised proposals for the Outer North East HMCA	September – November 2016
	Pre-Submission Changes Advertisement	February 2017
	Revised Submission Draft Consultation	February to March 2018
	Submission	May 2017 and Revised Submission in March 2018
	Examination	Stage 1 October 2017 and Stage 2 July 2018
	Inspector Report	June 2019
	Adoption	July 2019
Production actions	Lead	Policy and Plans Service
	Management	Strategic Planning
	Resources	Policy and Plans Service and additional officers throughout the Council. Database, mapping and graphic resources. Advertising, consultation arrangements and Examination costs.
	Stakeholders / Community Involvement	Statutory consultees and local community groups and organisations with an interest in the area as set out in the SCI
Post production	Following adoption, the Site Allocations Plan was challenged by the Aireborough Neighbourhood Development Forum. This was considered by the High Court who found errors of law (within the independent Inspectors’ Report) and ordered that all parts of the Leeds Site Allocations Plan which allocate sites for housing, including mixed use allocations, that were in the Green Belt immediately before the SAP’s adoption (including the aspects of all policies and text that give reasons for, and effect to, those allocations), be remitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination by a person appointed for that purpose. The Examination of the remitted 37 Green Belt sites will take place in September 2021 the Council’s proposals for which having been subject to public consultation in 2020. The Council’s position is that there is sufficient land from non-Green Belt land in the Leeds supply and that release of 36 sites for housing from the Green Belt is now not justified. However, there remains exceptional circumstances for the release of 1 site from the Green Belt for employment uses because employment land elsewhere is the District is sterlised by strategic rail safeguarding directions set by Government. The Inspector is currently considering responses to Further Main Modifications published in December 2022 prior to publishing her report.
Review due	The SAP sets two review policies within it. HGR1 which seeks to ensure that sufficient land is allocated and safeguarded land designated within the SAP (to 2028) so as to comply with Core Strategy Selective Review housing requirements, which were Adopted after the SAP HGR2, which seeks to ensure that sufficient land for Gypsies and Travellers is provided by requiring a review of sites should the quantum of sites provided through planning applications be less than 13 as at 31^st March 2023 For all other parts of the SAP, reviews of all Development Plan Documents are required to be carried out 5 years from adoption, meaning that a review of the Site Allocations Plan should take place by 2024.

Core Strategy Selective Review 2019

Title	Core Strategy Selective Review 2019
Status	Adopted Development Plan Document
Role and content referred to	Updates the housing requirement in Policy SP6, considering and making any necessary consequent revisions to other parts of the Plan. Extends the plan period for the housing requirement from 2017 to 2033. Updates the wording for Policies EN1 and EN2. Updates Affordable Housing Policy H5. Amends Greenspace Policy G4. Introduces policies on Housing Standards. Responds to policy implementation issues.
Geographical area	The Leeds Metropolitan District administrative area
Conformity	The Adopted Core Strategy and the NPPF
Production milestones	Consultation on sustainability appraisal scoping report & preparation of Issues & Alternative Options for consultation	June to July 2017
	Publication	February to March 2018
	Submission	Estimated Summer 2018
	Examination	Estimated Autumn 2018
	Adoption	Estimated Winter 2018
Production actions	Lead	Policy and Plans Service
	Management	Strategic Planning
	Resources	Policy and Plans Service and additional officers throughout the Council. Consultancy support. Database, mapping and graphic resources. Advertising, consultation arrangements and Examination costs.
	Stakeholders / Community Involvement	Statutory consultees and local community groups and organisations with an interest in the area as set out in the SCI
Post production	Following adoption, the Core Strategy Selective Review was incorporated into the Adopted Core Strategy superseding specific policies as necessary. Together the documents are referred to as Core Strategy (as amended 2019)
Review due	Reviews of all Development Plan Documents are required to be carried out 5 years from adoption, meaning that a review of the specific policy matters should take place by 2024.

DPDs in preparation

Local Plan Update (“Your City, Your Neighbourhood, Your Planet”)

Title	Local Plan Update (“Your City, Your Neighbourhood, Your Planet”)
Status	Draft Development Plan Document
Role and content referred to	The draft proposed scope of the initial Local Plan Update has been determined through (a) a review of Local Plan Policies to see if they need updating (July 2020) and (b) in response to the Council’s 3 Pillars, in particular the climate emergency. The subject matters are as follows: carbon reduction and energy, green and blue infrastructure, sustainable infrastructure, flood risk and placemaking.
Geographical area	The Leeds MD
Conformity	The Local Plan will be in general conformity with the NPPF
Production milestones	Scope and issue and options	Regulation 18 consultation take place between July and September 2021
	Publication Draft Plan	December 2022
	Pre-Submission Consultation	Autumn 2023
	Submission	Spring 2024
	Examination	2024
	Adoption	2025
Production actions	Lead	Policy and Plans Service
	Management	Strategic Planning
	Resources	Policy and Plans Service and additional officers throughout the Council. Database, mapping and graphic resources. Advertising, consultation arrangements and Examination costs.
	Stakeholders / Community Involvement	Statutory consultees and local community groups and organisations with an interest in the area as set out in the SCI
Post production	TBC
Review due	TBC

Leeds Local Plan 2022 - 2040

Title	Leeds Local Plan 2022 - 2040
STATUS	Draft Development Plan Document
Role and content referred to	The results of the Review of all Local Plan policies in July 2020 identified that a range of policies needed to be updated. However having regard to available resources, informed by declarations made at Full Council, and detailed discussions with Development Plan Panel it is proposed that the objective of the Local Plan Update (1) should be the introduction of new and enhancement of existing planning policies to help address the climate emergency against the Council’s 3 pillars. This resulted in those policies relating to carbon reduction, flood risk, sustainable infrastructure, placemaking and green infrastructure being prioritised for updating before others. The Local Plan Update (2040) will be scoped in consultation with Development Plan Panel and may include matters such as: the housing requirement and allocations (for beyond 2028), affordable housing (inc. First Homes), employment land requirements and allocations (for beyond 2028), town and local centres, requirements for and allocations for Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Show persons (for beyond 2028), minerals and waste. These matters will be considered in relation to up to date Government Guidance, appropriate plan period and existing and emerging local evidence. The Local Plan Update (2040) will also be affected by the Planning Bill and any proposed new arrangements for strategic planning at the Combined Authority level.
Geographical area	The Leeds MD
Conformity	The Local Plan (2040) will be in general conformity with the NPPF
Production milestones	Scope Issues and Options	February 2023 Summer 2024
	Draft Plan	Winter 2024
	Submission	Spring 2025
	Examination	2025
	Adoption	2025/6
Production actions	Lead	Policy and Plans Service
	Management	Strategic Planning
	Resources	Policy and Plans Service and additional officers throughout the Council. Database, mapping and graphic resources. Advertising, consultation arrangements and Examination costs.
	Stakeholders / Community Involvement	Statutory consultees and local community groups and organisations with an interest in the area as set out in the SCI
Post production	TBC
Review due	TBC

Policy HGR1 of the Leeds Site Allocations Plan (2012 to 2028)

Plan Update Commitments in Adopted Development Plans

Title	Policy HGR1 of the Leeds Site Allocations Plan (2012 to 2028)
Status	Potential Development Plan Document
Role and content referred to	To ensure that sufficient housing land is allocated and safeguarded land designated within the SAP so as to comply with Core Strategy Selective Review housing requirements, which were Adopted after the SAP. The Council has stated through its submission material for the SAP Remittal process that it considers that it has sufficient land allocated within the SAP (to 2028) to comply with Core Strategy Selective Review housing requirements and upon completion of the SAP Remittal process will consider if the SAP needs updating through Policy HGR1.
Geographical area	The Leeds MD (divided into 11 Housing Market Characteristic Areas (HMCA) for the purposes of the allocations of housing). Excluding the area covered by the AVLAAP.
Conformity	The SAP will be in general conformity with the Adopted Core Strategy and the NPPF
Production milestones	Scoping	TBC pending Adoption of the Site Allocations Plan Remittal process
Production actions	Lead	Policy and Plans Service
	Management	Strategic Planning
	Resources	Policy and Plans Service and additional officers throughout the Council. Database, mapping and graphic resources. Advertising, consultation arrangements and Examination costs.
	Stakeholders / Community Involvement	Statutory consultees and local community groups and organisations with an interest in the area as set out in the SCI
Post production	TBC
Review due	TBC

Policy HGR2 of the Leeds Site Allocations Plan (2012 to 2028)

Title	Policy HGR2 of the Leeds Site Allocations Plan (2012 to 2028)
Status	Potential Development Plan Document
Role and content referred to	To ensure that sufficient land for Gypsies and Travellers is provided by requiring a review of sites should the quantum of sites provided through planning applications be less than 13 as at 31^st March 2023. The Council will review the Gypsy and Traveller policy in line with the most up to date monitoring information as at 1st April 2023 to see if the SAP needs to be updated through Policy HGR2
Geographical area	The Leeds MD
Conformity	The SAP will be in general conformity with the Adopted Core Strategy and the NPPF
Production milestones	Scoping	TBC pending evidence and scope and timetable of Leeds Local Plan 2040
Production actions	Lead	Policy and Plans Service
	Management	Strategic Planning
	Resources	Policy and Plans Service and additional officers throughout the Council. Database, mapping and graphic resources. Advertising, consultation arrangements and Examination costs.
	Stakeholders / Community Involvement	Statutory consultees and local community groups and organisations with an interest in the area as set out in the SCI
Post production	TBC
Review due	TBC

Glossary of Terms

Area Action Plan (AAP)	These plans are DPDs and focus upon allocation and implementation, providing an important mechanism for ensuring development of an appropriate, scale, mix and quality for key areas of opportunity, change or conservation.
Authority Monitoring Report (AMR)	Authorities are required to produce AMRs to assess the implementation of LDS and the extent to which policies in LDDs are being achieved.
Development Plan Document (DPD)	The Documents that together comprise the Local Plan. A local planning authority must prepare, and which have to be subject to rigorous procedures of community involvement, consultation and independent examination. Should include the following elements: Core strategy Site specific allocations of land Area Action Plans (where needed)
Local Plan	The Local Plan will contain a portfolio of DPDs, which will provide the local planning authority’s policies for meeting the community’s economic, environmental and social aims for the future of their area where this affects the development of land.
Local Development Document (LDD)	LDDs will compromise of DPDs, SPDs and SCI related to these are the SEA/SA, AMR and the Policies Map.
Local Development Scheme (LDS)	The LDS sets out the programme for preparing the LDDs and identifies which of those will be prepared as DPDs.
National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)	Government statement of National Planning Policy, and extant Planning Policy Statements.
Neighbourhood Plan	Prepared by Parish/Town Councils or Neighbourhood Forums to set out local policies consistent with the Local Plan
Sustainability Appraisal (SA)	Appraisal of the environmental, economic and social aspects of Local Development Documents (LDDs) in contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development objectives.
Statement of Community Involvement (SCI)	An LDD explaining to stakeholders and the community, how and when they will be involved in the preparation of Local Development Plan and where appropriate planning applications prior to their formal submission and the steps that will be taken to facilitate this involvement.
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)	Assessment of the environmental impacts of polices and proposals contained within the Local Plan (can be done as part of the SA).
SPD (SPD)	SPDs are LDDs intended to elaborate upon the policy and proposals in DPDs. They do not form part of the statutory development plan.

Risk Assessment

Risk	Impact	Mitigating action
New national and local policies and guidance	Unforeseen additional work injections into LDS work programme causing slippage Scope of proposed plans is significantly altered	Monitoring of changes to national policy Active participation in the City Region (to reflect the ‘duty to cooperate’) and local planning agenda to respond to changes early Re-evaluate priorities
New sub-regional arrangements for strategic policy making	Unforeseen additional work injections into LDS work programme causing slippage	Alignment of sub-regional and local strategic objectives
Volume of work (managing potentially competing timescales and tasks, higher levels of representations than anticipated)	Programme slippage	Monitoring of progress against programme objectives and re-prioritise as necessary Realistic & flexible timetables Use of additional resources through corporate partnership working
A very large volume of comments received at consultation stages	Require more staff to input and analyse responses Lengthy Examination in Public	Regular monitoring of resources, budgets and costings Redeploy existing resources where appropriate
Capacity of Stakeholders to respond as part of engagement/involvement activity	Potential programme slippage	Early consultation with stakeholders where appropriate
Inadequate resources to undertake specific areas of work	Unable to progress work Potential impact on quality & ‘soundness’ of planning documents	Regular monitoring of resources, budgets and costings Redeploy existing resources where appropriate
Lack of in house skills to undertake new areas of technical work	Programme slippage Potential impact on quality & ‘soundness’ of planning documents	Develop skills and competencies through training initiatives Close working with partners who have the necessary skills Use of external consultants – subject to resources
Staff turnover	Potential programme slippage	Monitoring of progress against programme objectives and re-prioritise as necessary Staff Recruitment
Planning Inspectorate unable to meet the timescale for examination and report	Delay to examination/reporting Key programme milestones not met	Close liaison with the Planning Inspectorate, to highlight any potential issues/problems at an early stage
Failure of planning documents to meet tests of soundness	Unable to adopt document Absence of up to date Local Plan triggers Presumption in Favour of Sustainable Development in NPPF	Ensure documents are sound and meet technical and consultation requirements Use of self-assessment tool
Legal Challenge	LDD quashed Impact on work programme through additional work	Ensure LDF is compliant with Planning legislation, Regulations and guidance
Departure from European Union	Unforeseen additional work injections into LDS work programme causing slippage	Monitoring of likely impacts especially as they relate to legislation Active participation in City Region to collectively explore implications upon sub-regional economy Re-evaluate priorities

Local Plan Review

The Local Planning Authority has a legal obligation to undertake a review of its Local Plan every five years in accordance with Regulation 10A of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012) and further set out in paragraph 33 of the National Planning Policy Framework, (NPPF, 2019).

The July 2020 review is the first review that Leeds has undertaken under the new legislation. The use of the word “review” by Government in this context is to consider policies every 5 years and see whether they need to be updated; not the process of such an update.

Local Plan Review Report July 2020(PDF 1.1MB)

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