The Staffordshire Development Plan Index

In order to help determine planning applications in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, they are considered against the relevant planning policies that are to be found in a series of documents, collectively referred to as the 'development plan'. Under the new plan-making system introduced by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 the following documents currently comprise the 'development plan':

• West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy (June 2004) (formerly known as Regional Planning Guidance (RPG11)
• Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Structure Plan (1996 - 2011) adopted in May 2001
• Stoke-on-Trent City Plan (1990 to 2001), adopted in 1993
• The adopted Local Plans prepared by the 8 Staffordshire District Councils
• Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent's Minerals Local Plan (1994 - 2006), adopted December 1999
• Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent's Waste Local Plan (1998-2011), adopted 10 February 2003

The following tables identify the adopted plans and those plans being reviewed or about to be reviewed by the County Council and the eight District Councils. There are also some links to Internet pages where information can be found about specific plans. If for any reason you find that a link is broken then try the Planning Portal as some Councils also use the Planning Portal to host their adopted Local Plan.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has been a Unitary Authority since April 1997. It is responsible for preparing the planning policies for its area. The City Council chose to prepare the replacement Structure Plan, the Minerals Local Plan and the Waste Local Plan jointly with Staffordshire County Council.

The Adopted / Approved Statutory Plans

Plan Title and Plan Period	Date of Adoption/Approval	Where Plan can be Inspected
Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Structure Plan 1996 to 2011	May 2001	Development Services Department, Riverway, Stafford
Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Minerals Local Plan 1994 to 2006	December 1999	Development Services Department, Riverway, Stafford
Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Waste Local Plan 1998 to 2011	10 February 2003	Development Services Department, Riverway, Stafford
Staffordshire Moorlands Local Plan to 2001 *	September 1998	District Office, Stockwell Street, Leek
Newcastle-under-Lyme Local Plan to 2011	October 2003	Civic Offices, Merrial Street, Newcastle-under-Lyme
City of Stoke-on-Trent City Plan to 2001 *	September 1993	Civic Centre, Glebe Street, Stoke-on-Trent
Stafford Borough Local Plan to 2001	October 1998	Civic Offices, Riverside, Stafford
East Staffordshire Local Plan 2001 to 2011	July 2006	Town Hall, Burton upon Trent
South Staffordshire Local Plan 1986 to 2001	December 1996	Council Offices, Codsall
Cannock Chase Local Plan to 2001	March 1997	Civic Centre, Beecroft Road, Cannock
Lichfield District Local Plan to 2001 *	June 1998	District Council House, Lichfield
Tamworth Local Plan 2001 to 2011	July 2006	Marmion House, Lichfield Street, Tamworth
* via National Planning Portal

Staffordshire County Council's Development Services Directorate at Riverway, Stafford, maintains a library of the adopted and emerging plans.

Contact Tony Lovett if you wish to arrange to view the documents (contact details below).

Local Development Frameworks (LDFs)

On 28 September 2004, the provisions of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 relating to the new Local Development Frameworks (LDFs) came into effect. LDFs comprise Development Plan Documents (DPD's) that will replace Local Plans. As part of the preparation of an LDF, local authorities are required to produce a Local Development Scheme (LDS), which sets out the programme for the production of the various DPDs. The first LDSs were submitted to the Government Office for the West Midlands before 28 March 2005. For progress on the preparation of Local Plans, LDSs and LDFs use the links below to visit the Council web sites.

• Staffordshire County Council
• Stoke-on-Trent
• Staffordshire Moorlands
• Newcastle under Lyme
• Stafford
• Cannock Chase
• Lichfield
• South Staffordshire
• East Staffordshire
• Tamworth

'Saved policies'

Staffordshire County Council, the Staffordshire Borough / District Council's and Stoke-on-Trent City Council have now received 'direction letters' from the Government c/o the Government Office for the West Midlands, to confirm the 'saved policies' in their adopted local plans which remain with effect from 28 September 2007.  For more details about the 'saved policies' click here or for more information about what the direction letters received by the Staffordshire Borough / District Council's and Stoke-on-Trent City Council click on the links above.

The Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Structure Plan and West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy

Under the new plan-making system introduced by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, Structure Plans will no longer be prepared to form part of the Development Plan. However, in the interim period, the existing Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Structure Plan remains a part of the Development Plan to September 2007, unless it is in conflict with the provisions of the Regional Spatial Strategy for the West Midlands (June 2004) (formerly known as Regional Planning Guidance for the West Midlands). Under the new system, Regional Spatial Strategies (RSSs) are now part of the statutory Development Plan. For more details click on the links below:

• Government Office for the West Midlands or
• West Midlands Regional Assembly - Planning and Regional Strategy.

To comment on the Development Plan Index you can write, telephone, fax or e-mail to:

Mr. Tony Lovett
Strategic Land Use Planning Policy
Development Services Directorate
Staffordshire County Council
Riverway
Stafford. ST16 3TJ

Tel: 01785 277363
Fax: 01785 211279
E-mail: tony.lovett@staffordshire.gov.uk

Last Modified: 03/11/2008 11:05:24
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