1.1 Maldon District`s Local Development Plan (LDP)

All councils have to prepare a Development Plan called a Local Plan; this document is, along with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) used in the determination of planning decisions. It sets out how an area can meet its growth needs for things such as new housing and employment development. All local plans include a spatial strategy which directs where this growth will go and allocates land so that it can be developed. They also contain more detailed policies to guide how councils will make decisions on planning applications. The plan covers all types of development, from housing to employment, shops, infrastructure (roads, schools, green spaces) and community facilities, with a few exceptions including how waste and minerals related development will be catered for.

Maldon District Council's Local Development Plan (LDP) was approved following an Examination in Public by the Planning Inspectorate in 2017 and it covered the period 2014 to 2029. The LDP applies to the whole of Maldon District.

1.2 Why does the LDP Need Reviewing?

Policy S3 in the approved LDP had a trigger set out in it for an early review, in para 2.16 of the LDP it states;

"The Council will monitor housing delivery against the housing trajectory for the District using the indicators specified in the Monitoring Framework set out in the LDP. If the Authority Monitoring Report (AMR) demonstrates that the Garden Suburbs and Strategic Allocations deliver less than 75% of their projected housing completions in three consecutive years (based on the trajectories set out in Figure 4 of this Plan), the Council will undertake a partial review of this Plan. In undertaking this review, the Council will ensure that sufficient infrastructure capacity is available and that the potential allocation of additional housing sites will not prejudice delivery of the infrastructure required by the Plan."

The council has also been monitoring development every year since the LDP was approved. Monitoring in 2019/2020 showed that the trigger had been met for the first time.

Additionally, the evidence base, which supports the LDP is now becoming out of date and the District does not have a 5 year supply of housing land which helps residents with choice in their accommodation needs. National policy has also been amended since the LDP was approved and there are some aspects which are no longer in conformity with it, which reduces its effectiveness in managing development in the District. Finally, in February 2021, the Council declared a Climate Emergency and many of the policies in the LDP do not provide the best foundation from which to help manage and mitigate the effects of climate change on the District.

It is therefore considered an appropriate time for a review of the document. The reviewed LDP will start to carry some weight as it progresses through the plan making stages and on adoption will carry full legal weight and fully supersede the current LDP.

1.3 Timetable for the Review of the Local Plan

The updated Plan will cover the period up to at least 2038, fifteen years from the expected date of adoption in 2023. The council has published a timetable for updating the Plan in its statutory Local Development Scheme. The timetable is outlined below:

DOCUMENT TITLE	REVIEW OF THE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Role and Content	To provide an update to the Adopted Local Development Plan 2014 - 2029 this will provide a planning policy framework and development strategy for Maldon District up to 2038
Coverage	Maldon District
Timetable	Consult on Issues and Options - Spring  2022  Consult on the Preferred Strategy LDP (Reg 18) -Summer 2022  Publish Draft LDP (Reg 19) - Early Spring 2023  Submit to the Secretary of State for Examination - Late Spring 2023  Adoption - Late Autumn 2023
Chain of Conformity	Relevant Planning Acts and Regulations  National Planning Policy Framework and Planning Practice Guidance  Maldon District Corporate Plan   Local Development Plan  Evidence base
Resource	Local Plans team;  Other Council Officers;  Co-operation with neighbouring local planning authorities;  Co-operation with relevant stakeholders including infrastructure providers;  Use of technology and web-based communication to assist with consultation; and  Consultancy support to develop, review and update the evidence base and aid with the Examination.

1.4 Why are the Council consulting on an Issues and Options document now?

As outlined in the timetable above, the LDP update process has a number of formal statutory stages to pass through which will take place over the next few years. This includes consultation on draft versions of the Plan. This Issues and Options document is the first formal but non-statutory consultation in the plan making process. Its main purpose is to ensure that the Plan had identified the main key issues for those parts of the Plan that the Council are reviewing and that all suitable options for accommodating change are considered. This is your opportunity to feed into the LDP Review process at an early stage and help shape the future changes to the Plan.

1.5 Will the Review of the Local Plan Impact on Neighbourhood Planning?

For some Parish Councils in Maldon District, Neighbourhood Planning has enabled them to come together to produce a statutory plan for their local area to influence how development should be managed. Neighbourhood Plans have the same status in the planning process as Local Plans, but they must be in conformity with the Local Plan and also legislation, national planning policy & guidance.

Whilst any Neighbourhood Plans that have been formally 'made' (that is, they have been brought into effect for use in the District's planning policy framework) will continue to form part of the Development Plan for their areas, the most up to date plan takes precedence and therefore the LDP Review may supersede parts of Neighbourhood Plans which do not comply with it.

It is recommended that new and developing Neighbourhood Plans should, as far as it is possible, take into account the LDP Review as they are developed and that any 'made' Neighbourhood Plans may need to be reviewed themselves by Parish Councils in light of any changes coming forward. The council will support communities through this process.

1.6 Making Comments on this Consultation

The consultation will run from midnight on the 17th January 2022 to 5.00pm on the 14th March 2022.

Representations should be submitted no later than 5.00pm on 14th March 2022. All representations received will be made available to view publicly.

The consultation document can be found on the council website at: www.maldon.gov.uk/Issues-and-Options

You are not required to comment on all of the questions in the Issues and Options document and you can complete as many questions as desired.