Officers at Dorset Council have prepared an updated draft Local Development Scheme (LDS) for review by councillors at Dorset Council’s Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, 12 March 2024.
The Local Development Scheme (LDS) is a project plan which sets out the timetable for the production of new or revised development plan documents which will form the Council’s Local Development Plan guiding new development in the County for the future.
The updated draft LDS suggests that the Purbeck Local Plan should be adopted in Q1 2024 – so any day now!
The emerging Dorset Local Plan will follow the new local plan process having regard to the December 2023 NPPF. Officers explain some of the reasons for the delays in the Dorset Local Plan progress as;
‘Various evidence studies have been produced with the Weymouth SFRA Level 2 and a Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment recently being finalised. These studies have indicated that further work is needed to manage flood risk in Weymouth and a need to identify further sites to meet the need for gypsies and travellers. In addition, in March 2022 Natural England updated their advice for development proposals that have the potential to affect water quality in internationally protected habitats sites. have slowed down the progress of the Local Plan with a further round of consultation considered necessary to address the issues that have emerged.
These factors have slowed down the progress of the Local Plan with a further round of consultation considered necessary to address the issues that have emerged.’
The key milestones in the Dorset Local Plan are envisaged as being:
Director, Brett Spiller, stated; ‘Firstly, I welcome the imminent adoption of the Purbeck Local Plan. It is also helpful officers are advising on the new timescales for the Dorset Local Plan preparation. Whilst I appreciate only too well the issues over nutrient neutrality, but in a time of unprecedented housing need, and the social and economic issues that unfilled need creates, it would be preferable if the plan could have been given absolute priority by the Council. I sincerely hope the timetable set out is strictly adhered to.’