Local Development Scheme 2025 to 2027

Further details of the North Northamptonshire Local Plan Review and Local Development Scheme can be found in the ‘Agenda Reports Pack’ for the Executive of Thursday 13 March 2025 from page 293.

Adoption version at Executive 13 March 2025

1.0 Introduction

1.1 The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended by the Localism Act 2011) requires local planning authorities to prepare, maintain and publish a Local Development Scheme (LDS). The purpose of the LDS is to enable the local community to identify the timetable for the preparation of planning documents prepared in their area. This is the third LDS prepared by North Northamptonshire Council, the first was adopted in March 2022, the second adopted in November 2023.

1.2 This LDS covers a three-year period and sets out details of the Development Plan Documents (DPDs) that North Northamptonshire Council intends to produce, and the timetable for their production. It also includes an assessment of the roles and responsibilities of those involved in their production; a reflection on the relationship with Neighbourhood Plans and other documents; and an assessment of risks and contingencies as part of the programme to adoption.

1.3 The content of documents within the LDS will be kept up to date on the council’s website to allow local communities and other interested parties to keep track of the council’s progress, aware of critical phases of plan preparation, and alert to when the key stages will occur.

2.0 North Northamptonshire Development Framework - Current position

2.1 The North Northamptonshire Development Framework currently comprises the following:

Development Plan documents

• North Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy (JCS) (Part 1 Local Plan) - adopted July 2016
• Part 2 Plan for the Borough Council of Wellingborough - adopted February 2019
• Part 2 Local Plan for Corby - adopted September 2021
• Site Specific Part 2 Local Plan for Kettering Borough - adopted December 2021
• Kettering Town Centre Area Action Plan - adopted July 2011
• East Northamptonshire Local Plan Part 2 - adopted December 2023
• Northamptonshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan Update - adopted July 2017

Other Development Framework documents

• North Northamptonshire Statement of Community Involvement - adopted 28 July 2022
• North Northamptonshire Annual Monitoring Report - published annually
• Other local plan specific Annual Monitoring Reports for Development Plan Documents
• North Northamptonshire Local Development Scheme (this document)

2.2 The preparation of new documents will bring with it the need to review and update the content of this LDS, however, changes to the content of documents or minor alterations to supporting mechanisms will not necessarily demand a review.

Related strategies

2.3 The council’s Corporate Plan approved by Full Council on 1 December 2021 will influence Local Plans prepared by the council alongside any other relevant documents.

3.0 Development Plan documents - Future position

North Northamptonshire Local Plan

3.1 The North Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy (JCS) was adopted in July 2016 and covers the period 2011-2031. It was prepared by the North Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit and adopted by the North Northamptonshire Joint Planning Committee. The JCS is the strategic Part 1 Local Plan for the area, providing strategic allocations and the strategic direction for development across the North Northamptonshire area.

3.2 The Joint Core Strategy will be reviewed or updated through the preparation of what will be called the North Northamptonshire Local Plan. The Plan will address strategic matters which will, as a minimum, meet the requirement set out in the National Planning Policy Framework, to have a plan that addresses the strategic priorities for the area and some non-strategic matters that are set out in Part 2 Local Plans. This will allow for harmonisation and rationalisation of policy approaches and the opportunity to address any policy gaps that may exist. It is proposed that the statutory plan period should be 2021-2045, with a longer-term vision for achieving sustainable growth set out beyond this period.

3.3 The North Northamptonshire Local Plan will also include planning policies and site allocations to meet the identified needs for Gypsy and Travellers and ensure high standards of design, development and living conditions that were proposed to be incorporated into the North Northamptonshire Gypsy and Traveller Local Plan. The projected timetable for preparing the North Northamptonshire Local Plan is as follows:

• Early stakeholder and community engagement - March/May 2022
• Draft Plan for consultation - January/February 2026
• Publication consultation - September/October 2026
• Submission to Secretary of State - November 2026
• Examination - March 2027
• Adoption - December 2027

Other Development Plan documents

Northamptonshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan

3.4 A report to the Executive on 13 February 2025 recommended that a new Minerals and Waste Local Plan is progressed to adoption and prepared to cover the county of Northamptonshire subject to the agreement of West Northamptonshire Council and its decision for preparing a plan. The report provided an overview of the resources needed to progress the plan. A projection for a potential timetable is set out below for inclusion within this LDS, this may be updated as planning for the preparation of the Minerals and Waste Local Plan is still at an early stage:

• Preliminary work, including preparation of a detailed timetable and project plan - March - August 2025
• Issues and Options Paper - September 2025
• Analysis of Responses. Preparation of a document (potentially a Draft Plan) that firms up policies and allocations - September 2025 - Spring 2026
• Sign off on policies and allocation document by Executive. Consultation on document (6 weeks) - Spring 2026
• Analysis of Responses. Preparation of Proposed Submission Plan - Summer 2026
• Proposed Submission Plan to Executive - September 2026
• Period for Representations on Proposed Submission Plan (and period to consider whether any changes should be made or suggested to the Inspector at Submission - October - November 2026
• Submission to Secretary of State - December 2026
• Examination - April 2027
• Adoption - December 2027

Neighbourhood Plans

3.5 The Localism Act 2011 introduced rights and powers to enable communities to get directly involved in planning for their area. Neighbourhood planning allows communities to come together through a parish council or formal neighbourhood forum and produce a neighbourhood plan. Neighbourhoods can decide what they want to consider in their neighbourhood plans. They may allocate land for development or influence the type and design of development that comes forward. Neighbourhood plans must however be in general conformity with National Policy and the strategic planning policies already adopted by the council. They should not promote less development than that set out in the Local Plan or undermine its strategic policies. They are also subject to an independent Examination and need to be approved by a majority vote in a local Referendum, before they can be Made (adopted).

3.6 North Northamptonshire Council has a large number of “made” neighbourhood plans within its area, and a significant number of plans at various stages in their preparation, including review. The council will continue to support Neighbourhood Plan Groups in the preparation of their Plans.

3.7 Any further “made” Neighbourhood Plans will also form a part of the Development Plan and will be used to assess and determine planning applications within the Plan’s designated area.

4.0 Other documents

Statement of Community Involvement

4.1 The North Northamptonshire Statement of Community Involvement (SCI), adopted on 28 July 2022 was the first to be adopted by North Northamptonshire Council. It sets out the programme of community engagement in the preparation of local planning documents, minerals and waste matters and in considering planning applications for the area. It also sets out how the community can become involved in influencing Local Plans and planning applications ranging from minor development proposals such as house extensions, to major housing, employment and retail schemes, and to minerals and waste plans and applications. The council is scheduled to review the SCI during early Summer 2025.

Community Infrastructure Levy and Planning Obligations

4.2 The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a standard pre-set charge which local planning authorities are empowered, but not required, to charge on all new developments over a minimum size. However, planning obligations through S106 Agreements remain a key means for ensuring that developments pay for infrastructure to make a development proposal acceptable in planning terms. None of the previous sovereign authorities prepared a CIL levy for their areas. The Government has resolved to remove pooling restrictions previously imposed limiting 5 planning obligations towards a single piece of infrastructure. Further guidance on these topic areas was published by the Conservative Government on 2 September 2019, and further reforms to CIL through an Infrastructure Levy were consulted on between March and June 2023. In July 2024 the Government announced that it was not implementing the Infrastructure Levy and will focus on improving the existing system of developer contributions. The council will continue to monitor the situation.

Supplementary Planning Documents

4.3 Supplementary Planning Documents are not required to be identified in the Local Development Scheme. It is however worth noting that a number of Supplementary Planning Documents have been adopted on a former area-wide basis, largely by the former sovereign authorities.

North Northamptonshire Council Monitoring Report

4.4 A North Northamptonshire Council Monitoring Report to measure progress made in delivering the Local Development Scheme and policies contained within the Development Plan will continue to be published annually.

Strategic Environmental Assessment and Sustainability Appraisal

4.5 Achieving sustainable development is at the heart of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and planning system in general. Development Plans must be in general conformity with the NNPF. Therefore, the proposed Development Plan Documents will have to be subject to a Sustainability Appraisal (incorporating a Strategic Environmental Assessment). This will ensure that the social, economic and environmental effects of policies and allocations are understood and fully taken into consideration. This is particularly important in the appraisal of reasonable options.

4.6 Development Plan Documents must also comply with the requirements of the European Community’s Habitats Regulations on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (Directive 92/43/EEC, May 1992). An Appropriate Assessment will be prepared for each Development Plan Document, and along with the Sustainability Appraisal, will be subject to testing at the Examination into the Plans.

5.0 Delivery and implementation

Resources

5.1 In preparing the Development Plan Documents, the council’s Policy and Placemaking Team will lead in the production of each of the documents, with contributions from other service areas within the council as and when required. It also recognises the need to use consultant expertise to assist in producing various elements of the technical background work. The service receives an annual budget to contribute to the costs of preparing the Development Plan Documents, it has also carried forward from previous years a Planning Reserve, which it draws from to cover the high costs necessary at specific periods of the plan-making cycle, in particular the costs incurred in gathering technical evidence and at Examination.

5.2 There has been a reduction in staffing resources within the Planning Policy service. Local Plan progression has been impacted by this.

5.3 Restructuring of the Planning Policy service is underway to establish a clear management structure and staff to ensure the North Northamptonshire Local Plan and Minerals and Waste Local Plan can be delivered efficiently and to time, as much as is possible.

5.4 The Planning Policy team will continue to work with its partners on issues of delivery and implementation, including continued discussions with infrastructure delivery partners, developers, and seeking funding support from government bodies e.g. Department for Transport and Homes England.

Risk assessment

5.5 Production of the Development Plan Documents requires consideration of the potential risks involved in their preparation. In preparing this LDS, it was found that the main areas of risk relate to the following aspects:

• Staff turnover, retention and service restructure - Plan preparation is a priority workstream within the Policy and Placemaking team’s work programme. There are other competing priorities, and pressures on staff resource. Service restructure however is underway, the proposed new structure, and planned contingencies intended to give greater support to progressing both Local Plans to the timetables set.
• Access to support services - The council recognises the benefits of making all relevant information on the making of Plans available on its website. Ensuring documents are available to blind or partially sighted members of the community is accepted. Officers are seeking to ensure that all documents are available to view for all sectors of the community, without compromising legislation on accessible documents. In addition, the use of technology, including digital mapping (GIS) is of significant benefit to the sharing of information, efforts will be made to ensure sufficient resource is made available to optimise this as a tool.
• Duty to Cooperate - The council will engage with other authorities and organisations to ensure it satisfies the Duty to Cooperate and prepares a Statement of Common Ground.
• Budget pressures - The council clearly seeks to manage its year-on-year budget effectively, providing efficiency savings where possible. The Policy and Placemaking functions are expected to respond positively to budget pressures the same as other services. The budget is regularly monitored to plan and project for any efficiency opportunities and potential unexpected additional costs likely to be incurred in producing the Development Plan Documents.
• Capacity of the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) - Advanced notification of timetables will be provided to the Planning Inspectorate to assist them in ensuring a suitable Inspector is available.
• Developing the Plans at Planning Communities Executive Advisory Panel, and through Executive - Officers work closely with all Members, but in particular the Executive Member for Growth and Regeneration. Effort is made to inform progress in preparing the Development Plan Documents, and that access to all the background information necessary to develop an understanding and foster a spirit of ownership of the content of the Plans is made readily available. Members of the Panel are keen for measures to be put in place to ensure the Local Plans are exemplar, delivering high quality developments, environments and infrastructure for the area.
• Soundness of the Plans - The council will seek to minimise any risk to the assessment of “soundness” by providing a clear evidence base, informing The Planning Inspectorate of the on-going process and working alongside the council’s designated planning solicitor throughout the process.
• Legal Challenge - As above, and in addition as each Plan develops the council will work closely with its designated planning solicitor to reduce the risk of a successful legal challenge. This is likely to require specialist legal advice.
• Programme Slippage - The timetables set are considered challenging but achievable. To seek to reduce the risk of slippage, the programme will be regularly monitored, and contingencies explored to keep the timetables on track. There will be the potential for slippage caused by factors out of the council’s control, but efforts will always be made to keep any slippage to an absolute minimum. A governance or reporting approach is being implemented at Executive and Assistant Director level to keep accountability of the progress of the work as well as managing and mitigating risks.
• Consultation Response - The timetables for both Local Plans include two full rounds of consultation. Levels of response are difficult to forecast, which means there can be significant numbers and complexities in some policy areas. As a result, the potential for additional resources to support plan progress, including movement with teams and additional consultancy or agency input may be required, so this will be closely monitored and responded to if the risk increases.
• Planning Reform - Clarity over the final set of planning reforms and other legislative changes remain uncertain, as does the timing and transitional arrangements, although further clarity is emerging. As such, officers will continue to monitor proposed reforms and respond to consultations when published. Officers will forecast these changes to ensure the council is prepared, and in the best position possible when changes are confirmed.

Monitoring and review

5.5 The North Northamptonshire Annual Monitoring Report will monitor the progress of the LDS on an annual basis. An annual monitoring report will be prepared to report on the delivery of policies for each of the Development Plan Documents once each document is adopted.

5.6 The LDS will be reviewed within a minimum of three years from the adoption of this document.

Schedule of proposed Development Plan Documents to be prepared and agreed by North Northamptonshire Council

North Northamptonshire Local Plan

Northamptonshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan

North Northamptonshire Policies Maps

Last updated 24 April 2025