Statement of Community Involvement (Draft Sept 2019)

2: The Planning System

2.1 Overview of the Planning System

2.1.1 The purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development. Achieving this means that the plan-led planning system has three overarching objectives: economic, social and environmental (National Planning Policy Framework para 8), which are interdependent and need to be pursued in mutually supportive ways.

2.1.2 Harborough District Council makes decisions which guide how and where development takes place. Its main function is to set priorities for the development and use of land in its area to ensure the provision of homes, jobs, shops and other facilities for the community, whilst also protecting the environment and heritage assets. As the local planning authority the Council has 3 main roles as set out in sub-sections 2.2 – 2.4 below.

2.2 Planning Policy

2.2.1 Planning policy or 'plan-making' is the formulation of a statutory Development Plan which sets out a positive vision for the future of the area and provides a framework for addressing housing needs and other economic, social and environmental priorities. The main policy document the Council prepares is the Local Plan (part of the Development Plan for the district). Other types of document including Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) may also be produced to provide more detail and information on the strategic policies in the Local Plan.

2.2.2 The Local Development Scheme (LDS) is a project plan outlining the Council's programme for preparing planning policy documents.

2.3 Neighbourhood Planning

2.3.1 Neighbourhood planning is a way for communities to help decide the future of the places where they live and work. It is a right, rather than a legal requirement, which communities can choose to use. The production of new or revised Neighbourhood Plans are led by the community and supported by the Council. Once adopted or 'made' by the Council, Neighbourhood Plans become part of the statutory Development Plan.

2.4 Development Management

2.4.1 Development Management is about ensuring that the right type, mix and design of development is provided in sustainable locations by managing how land and buildings are used or changed through the granting or refusal of planning permission or use of Development Orders. The main consideration in determining planning applications is conformity with the policies of the Development Plan.