Planning Policy

The Planning Policy Team is responsible for preparing documents that set out the Councils approach to the management of development in the District. The planning system in England and Wales follows a plan-led system. This involves preparing plans containing policies that set out what can be built and where. The system was updated by an Act of Parliament (the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act) in December 2004 which required local authorities to replace their Local Plans with a process known as the 'Local Development Framework'.

There are three main levels of planning guidance:

• National Planning Policy Statements & Guidance Notes (PPSs, PPGs) - These are prepared by the Government after public consultation to explain statutory provisions and provide guidance to local authorities and others on planning policy and the operation of the planning system. Local authorities must take their contents into account in preparing plans.
  
• Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS) - Each Regional Planning Body prepares a Regional Spatial Strategy. This sets out issues such as how many homes are needed to meet the future needs of people in the region, or whether the region needs a new major shopping centre or an airport. The Regional Spatial Strategy for East Anglia is known as the 'East of England Plan' and replaces the former county-level Structure Plan.
  
• Local Development Frameworks (LDF) - North Norfolk District Council is preparing a Local Development Framework. This is a folder of documents that sets out how your local area may change over the next few years. The policies in the former North Norfolk Local Plan have recently been replaced by a new Development Plan Document called the Core Strategy (part of the Local Development Framework).

There are other types of plan, such as how to deal with waste or mineral extraction. This is known as the Waste and Minerals Local Development Framework and is prepared by Norfolk County Council.

---

Current Adopted Policy:

• Core Strategy for North Norfolk (Adopted September 2008) - The Core Strategy provides the overarching approach for development in North Norfolk. It sets out a long-term spatial vision, objectives and policies to guide public and private investment up to 2021. The document includes a set of Development Control policies which are used to assess individual planning applications. All new development proposals should accord with the Core Strategy.
• Proposals Map - The Proposals Map is published as part of the Core Strategy and shows on an Ordnance Survey based map the area to which Core strategy policies will apply.

• East of England Plan (Adopted 2008) - Regional Planning Policies.
• Broads Local Plan & Core Strategy (Adopted 1997, 2007).
• Norfolk Waste Local Plan (Adopted 2000) - Policies for waste disposal planning.
• Norfolk Minerals Local Plan (Adopted 2004) - Policies for minerals extraction and planning.

---

Historical Policy Documents:

• North Norfolk Local Plan (1998) - The former Planning Policy development framework for the North Norfolk District. This document expired from use in September 2008 and was superseded by the Core Strategy. One saved Local Plan policy (Policy 29: Re-use and Adaptation of Buildings in the Countryside) remains in use and this is included in the Core Strategy.

---

To view current activities and documents regarding the Local Development Framework please visit the LDF Website

Information on the current system of Planning is contained:

• within the Government Publication: The Planning System: General Principles
• and on the Planning Portal Guide to Local Development Frameworks page.

---

Background Information

The Planning Policy Section uses information from a variety of sources to monitor, review and formulate planning policies. This information will be made available to the public, via this website wherever possible.

NB:These studies have been commissioned to formulate planning policy and do not represent District Council policy.

• Background Information (Strategies, Studies and Statistics)

---

Requests for General Maps
Unfortunately, other than the Core Strategy maps, the Council is not licensed to provide Ordnance Survey based maps. See our map supplier page for a list of suppliers.

---

If you require any assistance please contact the Planning Policy Team on 01263 516318 or email the team at planningpolicy@north-norfolk.gov.uk