Other topic areas

Vision

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) emphasises that the planning system should be genuinely plan-led, with decisions being taken in accordance with succinct and up-to-date Local Plans.

The Best City Ambition sets the overall vision for the future of Leeds.  Planning policies have an important role in managing development across Leeds and may offer potential to support local priorities within the health and wellbeing, inclusive growth and zero carbon pillars. The benefits that such policies can offer to support these objectives will need to be maximised.

The vision for the Leeds Local Plan 2040 is to ensure the policies:

• Are in conformity with the NPPF
• Reflect any changes to local circumstances
• Reflect any changes arising from revisions to the Spatial Strategy (including where relevant employment and housing land)

The Leeds Local Plan 2040 covers a range of subject areas. The purpose of this topic paper is to identify other topic areas which could also potentially fall within the scope of the Plan. At this first stage of consultation, the scope of the other topic areas has not been decided and will be informed by the consultation and collection of supporting evidence.

Current issues

The Leeds Local Plan comprises a series of documents, including the Core Strategy 2014 (as amended by the Core Strategy Selective Review 2019), the Site Allocations Plan (2019), Natural Resources and Waste Local Plan (2013 / 2015), Aire Valley Leeds Area Action Plan (2017) and Saved Policies of the UDP (2006). These contain a wealth of policies, including a number of detailed policies of relevance to particular types of schemes, or schemes in specific locations.

The Local Plan Review (LPR) (2020) concluded that although many of these detailed policies are still generally up-to-date and in conformity with the NPPF, they should be considered for update to ensure that local priorities are reflected as fully as possible or to make minor modifications to their terminology. The effectiveness of some policies was also questioned by the LPR, with the policy intent being covered by other local or national planning policies.

To inform the scope of Leeds Local Plan 2040 the Local Plan Review (2020) has been refreshed. This has considered whether any changes in evidence, national policy and/or local circumstances have occurred that would result in any other policies needing to be considered as part of the Local Plan Update. As part of this process, the Aire Valley Leeds Area Action Plan which is now 5-years old has also been reviewed. 

The number of policies within the Leeds Local Plan, and their spread across a series of different documents, can make the Plan challenging to navigate. There is an opportunity for Leeds Local Plan 2040 to consider how existing policy could be streamlined. This would make the Plan more succinct and easier to use, which in turn may make the Plan more effective.

For some types of proposal local policy is currently silent and/or provides limited guidance on how planning applications should be assessed. For example, whilst there are a number of historic mills within the Leeds District, there is no specific policy addressing how proposals relating to these assets should be considered. Whilst reliance on elements of existing planning policy along with national policy may be sufficient, or other mechanisms (such as Supplementary Planning Documents, or informal guidance notes) may be as effective in addressing any issues, Leeds Local Plan 2040 provides an opportunity to identify if any new non-strategic policies should be introduced to better manage development across Leeds.

What might new policy do to address this?

Leeds Local Plan 2040 could introduce a series of updated policies that set local standards and criteria against which applications can be assessed. These could seek to streamline existing policies and provide clearer and more concise policy. Other topics in Leeds Local Plan 2040 (e.g. the Spatial Strategy, housing and employment land) may also influence changes to or lead to new topic area and related policies.

The Local Plan Review identified a number of existing detailed policies to be considered as part of a future Local Plan Update (but which are not being addressed through LPU1). The Leeds Local Plan 2040 provides an opportunity to consider policies dealing with issues such as:-

• Heritage,
• Landscape
• Rural development (including detailed policies for development proposals in the Green Belt and Rural Land)
• Open land and green corridors in urban areas
• Agricultural land including agricultural and forestry workers dwellings
• Community facilities
• Contaminated Land and hazardous substances

However nothing has been decided at this stage.

For any policies that may be identified through the consultation on the scope of Leeds Local Plan 2040, consideration will need to be given to the scale of any issues identified and the most effective way of addressing this. In some instances new and/or updated planning policy may add value, whilst in other cases reliance could just be placed on national policy (resulting in the deletion of existing policy) or other mechanisms – such as planning guidance to address any issues identified.

What do we need to get there?

A detailed review will need to be undertaken of the scope of existing policies, the scale and extent of any issues relating to their effectiveness and consistency with local priorities and national planning policy, and what the options for addressing this (either as part of Leeds Local Plan 2040 or using other mechanisms) may be.

Have your say

The consultation runs for 6 weeks from Friday 10 February until Friday 24 March 2023.