Local planning guidance

Planning policy

Planning policy is the development framework under which decisions on planning applications are made.

It is created at two different levels:

national: planning policies set by the government through the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Read more about the NPPF at GOV.UK
local: planning policies created by local planning authorities (such as us), parish councils, and neighbourhood forums

A supplementary planning document (SPD) contains information on how the planning authority applies policies in its development plan.

SPDs are a consideration in planning decisions, but they are not part of the development plan itself.

Select your local area to see the adopted and other guidance: