Adopted Local Development Order
Local Development Order 3 – Leeds District Heating Network
The revised Local Development Order 3 (LDO3) was formally adopted by the Executive Board on 19 November 2025.
LDO3 was originally adopted in March 2016, then revised and readopted in February 2017, and renewed in 2022.
The Leeds District Heating Network grants planning permission for the development of a District Heating Network. Comprising of pipes, cables and wires, heat exchange equipment, street furniture, informational signage and ancillary engineering works within defined areas of land across Leeds and shown on the LDO3 map, subject to conditions.
Prospective district heating installers should review the LDO and submit an application to discharge conditions to us.
The LDO covers land in Leeds City Centre and surrounding areas, including the communities of Aire Valley Leeds, Hunslet, Richmond Hill, Halton Moor, Woodhouse, Armley, Wortley, Lower Wortley, Bramley, Holbeck, Beeston, Harehills, Chapel Town, Burley, Hyde Park, Headingley, Sheepscar, Stourton, Scott Hall and Cottingley.
Simplified Planning
LDOs grant permission for the type of development specified in the Order, and by doing so, removes the need for a planning application to be made. LDOs are prepared by Local Planning Authorities who have the right to apply conditions on the LDO to ensure that the development is acceptable in planning terms.
Development not permitted
Development is not permitted by this Order if it constitutes, consists of or comprises:
- above ground cabinets, buildings or structures of greater than 1.5 cubic metres in volume or greater than 1.4m in height
- any sign of greater than 500 square centimetres in area
- works within a designated conservation area where:
- above ground cabinets, buildings or structures of greater than 1.0 cubic metres in volume or greater than 1m in height
- any sign of greater than 250 square centimetres in area
- any thermal energy generating plant or equipment
- EIA development as defined by Regulation 2 (1) of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2011
- any works within the curtilage of a Listed Building or Scheduled Ancient Monument, and their settings
- any above-ground development on land within 50 meters to the curtilage of a Listed Building or Scheduled Ancient Monument
- within areas to which a Direction under Article 4 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 is in force, development of a type described in that Direction
- any works within 15 metres of a designated Ancient Woodland
- any works within 15 metres of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
- any works within the defined boundary of a Local Wildlife Site or Local Nature Reserve
- external pipes over the river Aire, the Aire and Calder Navigation, and the Leeds and Liverpool canal
Development permitted by the LDO is subject to compliance with certain conditions and safeguards which are contained within the order. The LDO will not apply to listed buildings, scheduled ancient monuments and their settings or Schedule 2 (Environmental Impact Assessment) development where a screening opinion indicates that further EIA work is required.
Read the Local Development Order Environmental Impact Assessment
Please submit queries to: ldo.enquiries@leeds.gov.uk
