Local plan

Calderdale Local plan logo

The Local Plan will be the new development plan for Calderdale.

It will replace the Replacement Calderdale Unitary development plan (RCUDP) when it is approved, which could be in 2019.

Note: Until then, all planning decisions are based on the RCUDP and the National planning policy framework (NPPF).

The representation period for the pre-submission version of the Calderdale Local Plan was held between 10th August 2018 and Monday 1st October 2018. The Council thanks all those who have made representations. You will be informed when the Plan is submitted.

The collating and inputting of representations is ongoing. All comments will be available to view through the Consultation Portals associated with links in relevant documentation and links below.

The Council intends to submit the Plan to the Secretary of State for its independent Examination by the end of 2018 or early in 2019 in accordance with the Local Development Scheme.

See: Local Plan Timetable.

Relevant documentation and links:

Help with commenting:

Frequently asked questions

PDFLocal Plan FAQs [PDF 363KB]
Always open first panel: 
expander-active

Evidence base

The Local Plan must be based on robust evidence.For more evidence, see: Evidence base .

Local Plan Initial Draft

We consulted on the Local Plan Initial Draft in August 2017. The consultation raised over 10,000 individual comments. They are online to view against the sites or policies through Local plan consultations .

The documents for this consultation were:

  • Local Plan - Initial Draft : This is the full text of draft policy and reasoning for the policies. You can Click and Comment on any part of the document. General Comments may be made alongside the heading on the first page to the document.
  • Policies Map: This shows where policies apply on a map of Calderdale. You can see the potential allocations for new housing, employment, open space and other designations on this map. You can Click and Comment from selected sites from this mapping.
  • Sustainability Appraisal of the Local Plan - Initial Draft 2017 : This sets out the required sustainability appraisal of the Local Plan. This includes strategic environmental assessment.
  • Habitats Regulations Assessment : This sets out the required appraisal of the plan. It is in relation to the important habitats formed by parts of the Pennine Moors.

Core strategy

The Core Strategy has been merged with the Land Allocations and Designations document to form the Local Plan. No further work will be undertaken on this separate document.

This has provided the strategic policy context for development within Calderdale. Its creation has included several consultation stages:

2008 - 2009

The initial phase of community engagement took place between November 2008 and January 2009:

2011

The Core strategy was revised and a second phase of community engagement took place between January and March 2011:

2012

The final consultation phase was between October and December 2012, please read:

Land allocations and designations

The Land Allocations and Designations has been merged with the Core Strategy document to form the Local Plan. There will be no more work on this separate document.

The new Local Plan will identify sites to be developed or protected from development. This includes:

  • housing;
  • employment;
  • retailing;
  • minerals and waste;
  • open spaces, sports and recreation facilities;
  • community uses;
  • green belt;
  • environmental protection areas.

The Local Plan Policies Map shows these allocations and designations, like the Replacement Calderdale UDP mapping.

All allocations and designations are assessed and consulted on, before being proposed. A Site allocations assessment is used to assesses each one against a range of suitability criteria. This is to ensure they are available, achievable and deliverable.

To view the methodology used to assess sites within the ‘Local Plan – Initial Draft’, read:

The above methodology supersedes the PDFSite Allocations Assessment Methodology (April 2015) [PDF 5397KB] . This was previously used to assess sites within ‘Potential Sites and other aspects of the Local Plan’.

Note: The methodology has been refined to reflect feedback from a range of statutory consultees. This makes sure we are using a robust, tried and tested methodology. It will then guarantees that the most appropriate sites have been chosen for allocation.

Submissions of potential sites are still welcomed ("Call for sites"). These will be assessed in the next review of the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA), see: Site submissions .

Early engagement workshops

These were held through February and March 2014, across Calderdale.

Almost 500 people discussed the list of site allocations and designations, giving feedback on their views, before and after workshops.

For more information on the reasons for these workshops and their format, read:

The maps and comments from each workshop can be seen in the table below:

Event location Map and comments
Brighouse
Elland
Halifax
Hebden Bridge
Mytholmroyd
Ryburn
Shelf
Sowerby Bridge
Todmorden

 

Neighbourhood development plans

Neighbourhood development plans (NDP) were introduced by the Government in the Localism Act 2011 . This act amended the Town and country planning act 1990.

These community produced plans are examined and subject to the results of a referendum in the local area. They are then 'made' by the Local Planning Authority and become part of the development plan.

For more on Parish Councils and potential Neighbourhood Forums, please read: PDFNeighbourhood development plans guidance [PDF 172KB] .

Sustainability appraisal and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

Neighbourhood Plans have to meet a number of “Basic Conditions” before they can be put forward for Examination. One of these relates to compliance with EU Obligations. 

In this respect the need to determine whether Strategic Environmental Assessment is required is an important aspect.

Attention is drawn to the advice of the Government in its Planning Practice Guidance relating to Neighbourhood Plan.

The Council has prepared a “Screening Request Form” available here upon which Neighbourhood Planning Qualified Bodies can request a screening opinion to be made. Please see: PDFScreening Opinion Questionnaire [PDF 112KB]

Neighbourhood plan applications

There are no current applications for neighbourhood areas or forums under consideration at the current time.

Approved neighbourhood areas

A map of the approved neighbourhood areas (August 2018), is available here: PDFMap of approved neighbourhood areas [PDF 3742KB].

The map also shows where NDPs are being prepared. Local areas can take up the powers associated with preparing a NDP. This is after they have been passed a number of legal stages.

Parish areas

Town or parish council areas are defined as qualifying bodies. This means they only need Council approval for a NDP for an area.

Approved areas are:

Ripponden parish NDP area:

Hebden Royd and the Hill Top parishes NDP area:

Todmorden town council NDP area:

Non-parish areas

Non parish areas must make two applications, which are:

  1. to create a forum to act as the qualifying body for the area;
  2. and to apply for designation of an NDP for the area.

The approved areas are:

Park ward - Council granted the application, 2nd Oct 2014:

Greetland, Norland and West Vale Neighbourhood Forum - Council granted the application, late 2016:

Sowerby Neighbourhood Forum - Council granted the application, 26th Apr 2017.

Rastrick Neighbourhood Forum - Council granted the application, 2nd May 2017.

Clifton Neighbourhood Forum - Council granted the application, 1st August 2018.

Timetable for the preparation of the Local Plan

The National planning policy framework and Planning advisory service recommend that councils have a single Local Plan.

This covers the strategic policy framework and what land is allocated for development and providing a clearer link between them.

Calderdale is in the process of creating a single Local plan. Consultation on a through written draft was undertaken during 2017 and the Council is now progressing to the final Publication stage, which is expected to be approved in June 2018.

The formal Local Development Scheme (LDS), setting out the timeline, was ratified by Council on 21st June 2018 and brought into immediate effect. To see more about this, please read: PDFLocal Development Scheme 2018 [PDF 243KB] .

Timeline for the creation of the Calderdale Local Plan

  What Dates and Milestones
January 2018 Council approval of revised LDS and resolution that "it will have effect" from an agreed date. 31st January 2018
February 2018 Further Consideration by Cabinet including potential housing sites. 12th February 2018
June 2018 Consideration of Publication version of the Local Plan by Cabinet and Council.

Cabinet 11th June 2018

Council 21st June 2018
August to October 2018 Regulation 19 Consultation on Publication Local Plan (6 week Consultation). 10th August to 1st October 2018
October to December 2018 Handling Representations and preparation for Submission to Secretary of State. Dates to be confirmed
Early 2019 Submission of Local Plan and supporting evidence and document to Secretary of State. It is the Council’s intention to submit the Local Plan on or before 24th January 2019
January to September 2019 Public Examination of the Local Plan before an independent Planning Inspector (potentially 9 months).

Examination commences at Submission

Further dates to be confirmed
September to November 2019 Modifications. Dates to be confirmed
November to December 2019 Adoption. Dates to be confirmed

Contact

For more about the Local Plan, please contact:

Always open first panel: 

See also