The Sheffield Plan will replace both the Sheffield Core Strategy (2009) and the saved policies in the Sheffield Unitary Development Plan (1998). The plan will cover the period 2023-2038.
The Council have recently released the Local Development Scheme (LDS) which sets out the timetable for the preparation of the Sheffield district Local Plan.
A previous version of the LDS, published in July 2016, envisaged adoption by September 2018. The delay was caused by changes in government policy such as the revised National Planning Policy Framework and Housing White Paper which provides a standardised methodology for housing calculations. The preparation of Local Plans must be underpinned by relevant and up-to-date evidence; therefore, the previous LDS was considered to be out of date.
The updated LDS took effect from 20th November 2019, and outlines a number of key milestones:
A new Issues and Options consultation is the first part of the Plan Stage. A previous Issues and Options consultation was undertaken in November 2015- January 2016. This will inform the content of the Publication Draft Sheffield Plan and is now proposed to take place in July–September 2020.
The second stage of the consultation process is envisaged to take place between July and September 2021, where the Council will produce the Publication Draft Local Plan.
An independent Planning Inspector will be appointed to undertake a ‘public examination’ of the draft Local Plan and is likely to make recommendations to further improve it. LPAs may ask the Inspector to recommend main modifications to the plan where necessary to make the plan sound and legally compliant. Submission of the Draft Plan to Government and Examination will take place in January 2022.
The final report is envisaged to be sent to the LPA around June 2023.
Cabinet approval and adoption by full Council is proposed to take place in September 2023.
The LDS outlined four Neighbourhood Plan Areas that are currently adopting Neighbourhood Plans in Sheffield. Broomhill, Broomhall, Endcliffe, Somerfield, Tapton (BBEST) and Dore are the two areas closest to adoption as they have submitted their Neighbourhood Plans and are expecting adoption by September 2020.
Once they have been adopted, the neighbourhood plans will form part of the emerging Local Plan.
If you have a site (or interest in a site) within the Sheffield City Council region please do get in touch as now is the time to put development sites forward for adoption within the local plan.
