The Development Plan is the starting point for consideration of any planning application for development in the county. The Development Plan for Cumbria currently comprises Regional, County wide, and District / Borough planning policy documents.
Cumbria County Council and the Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) have recently prepared the review of the Structure Plan which is a broad strategic policy document for the county. The County Council is also responsible for preparing minerals and waste planning policy.
The Cumbria and Lake District Joint Structure Plan
The Cumbria and Lake District Joint Structure Plan is a statutory document that guides change in land use by providing a strategy and policies for the development and use of land within Cumbria, including the Lake District National Park. It provides a framework within which the District Councils and LDNPA prepare Local Plans and the County Council prepares a Minerals and Waste Local Plan. These translate the broad Structure Plan policies relevant to their area into more detailed policies and site allocations. The Structure Plan, together with Local Plans, provides the context for deciding planning applications. The Structure Plan, therefore, has a major influence on the future pattern of development in the County.
The Structure Plan will, in time, be replaced by the Regional Spatial Strategy under the new development plan system introduced by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. Local Plans are being replaced by Local Development Frameworks.
For more information regarding the Cumbria and Lake District Joint Structure Plan, please go to www.planningcumbria.org
Minerals and Waste Planning Policy
Minerals and Waste Planning Policy is currently set out in the Cumbria Minerals and Waste Local Plan which was adopted by the County Council in June 2000. The County Council is in the process of preparing a Minerals and Waste Development Framework (MWDF) which will replace the current Minerals and Waste Local Plan. To view the current Local Plan or find out how the new MWDF is progressing, please follow the link to Minerals and Waste Planning Policy (left).