9.1 Development Management policies set out local standards and criteria against which planning applications for the development and use of land and buildings are assessed.
9.2 We recently updated a significant number of Development Management policies through the adoption of our Local Plan Partial Update. A number of these policies are therefore considered up to date, and are not proposed to be amended through preparation of the new Local Plan. The policies that are considered to not require amendment are set out in Appendix 1.
9.3 Development Management policies must conform with national planning policy contained in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the technical planning practice guidance which supports it. The government have recently published an intention to prepare National Development Management Policies (NDMP), which would be given statutory status in determining planning applications and sit alongside policies set out in Local Plans. This should mean that Local Plans will be quicker to prepare, and focus only on locally relevant policies. However, uncertainty exists around the scope and preparation timescales for these NDMPs and the scope for local planning authorities to define local standards that differ to those in some NDMPs. Therefore, the council has prepared options relating to Development Management policies in the Local Plan for the purposes of public consultation. Development Management policies must also reflect any future changes to permitted development rights, i.e. those forms of development that the government defines as not requiring planning permission. This will be kept under review in preparing the Draft Local Plan.