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LEGAL CONTEXT TO THE PREPARATION OF THE MID SUFFOLK LOCAL PLAN

The Planning & Compensation Act 1991 inserted a new section 54A in to the 1990 Town and Country Planning Act which enhanced the status of development plans and introduced the plan-led system. This requires local authorities to prepare district-wide plans and also means that instead of being just one material consideration when determining planning applications, development plans are now the primary consideration.

Within Mid Suffolk there has not previously been district-wide local plan coverage. The Stowmarket Local Plan was adopted in March 1986 and the Eye and Hartismere Local Plan in March 1990 and, collectively, these gave plan coverage to approximately two-thirds of the 122 parishes within Mid Suffolk.

Now it has been adopted, the Mid Suffolk Local Plan supersedes both plans.

Key dates in the preparation of the Mid Suffolk Local Plan have been:

• February 1992 - work commenced on the plan’s preparation.

• April 1993 - consultation draft published.

• June 1994 - deposit draft published.

• May 1995 - two schedules of proposed changes published following negotiations with objectors.

• September 1995 - December 1995 - local plan inquiry into objectors.

• March 1996 - schedule of proposed changes under delegated powers.

• April 1996 - formal close of inquiry.

• April 1997 - Inspector’s report of findings published.

• November 1997 - proposed modifications published.

• March 1998 - further proposed modifications published.

• September 1998 - Mid Suffolk Local Plan is adopted.

The Mid Suffolk Local Plan has been prepared to conform with the Suffolk County Structure Plan, incorporating Alterations 1, 2 & 3, which was adopted in June 1995. Like the adopted Structure Plan the Local Plan has an end date of 2006.

The Structure Plan is currently being reviewed, and the consultation draft was published in April 1998. The new Structure Plan will have an end date of 2016 and is expected to be adopted in early 2000.

It is likely that the first review of the Mid Suffolk Local Plan will be started during the year 2000. This should roll it forward to 2016, in line with both the structure plan and regional strategy that are currently being prepared.

There have been a number of changes to policy and proposal numbers since the deposit draft plan was published and these are set out at the start of each section.

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