Core Strategy
Adoption of the Core Strategy
Following receipt of the Report on the Examination into Darlington Core Strategy Development Plan Document on 13 April 2011, Darlington Borough Council formally adopted its Core Strategy Development Plan Document (DPD) on 6 May 2011.
The Core Strategy DPD sets out how the Borough will develop over the next 15 years (2011-2026), and forms part of the Local Development Framework for the Borough. The policies in the Core Strategy replace several policies in the Borough of Darlington Local Plan (1997) that were ‘saved’ under the provisions of Section 38 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.
- Core Strategy DPD [pdf document]
- Key Diagram [pdf document]
The Path to Adoption
Darlington Borough Council submitted the Core Strategy to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, together with supporting documents and statements in October 2010. The hearing was held from the 25 to 27 January 2011, conducted by Planning Inspector Patrick T Whitehead Dip TP (NOTT), MRTPI. Further details of this can be seen on the Hearing Library.
Below, you can see the Core Strategy as it was submitted to the Inspector, alongside the Sustainability Appraisal, the Adopted Statement of Community Involvement and a statement setting out who was consulted; how they were invited to make representation; the number of representations received; a summary of the main issues raised and how those representations have been taken into account in the Submission Core Strategy.
- Submission Core Strategy [pdf document]
- Proposed Minor Amendments to the Draft Core Strategy [pdf document]
- Statement of Community Involvement [pdf document]
- Consultation Statement [pdf document]
The Council's initial responses to the representations made on the Publication Draft Core Strategy were also published. These can be seen below and are set out in the order of the Publication Draft Core Strategy. The schedule also includes some proposed minor changes that were included in the Proposed Minor Amendments Document (pdf above), and some new ones.
- Initial Responses to Representations [pdf document]
- Representations to the Core Strategy [pdf document]
- Representations Listed in Policy Order [pdf document]
Publication Draft Core Strategy 2010
Representations were invited on the legality and soundness of the Publication Draft Core Strategy and the responses we received can be seen above. The representations were considered by a Planning Inspector alongside the Publication Draft Core Strategy for independent examination.
Publication of the draft strategy followed three earlier consultations.
Core Strategy Revised Preferred Options 2010
The consultation period on the above closed on 28 February. All comments received were considered in finalising the Core Strategy for publication, before submission to the Government for independent examination.
The documents that were published for consultation are set out below:
- LDF Core Strategy Revised Preferred Options (full document) [pdf document, 5.2mb]
- Help Plan the Future of Darlington [pdf document, 1.2mb]
- Draft Darlington Local Infrastructure Plan [pdf document, 1.2mb]
- Darlington Local Infrastructure Plan Appendix 1: Darlington Cycle Map [pdf document, 2.3mb]
- Darlington Local Infrastructure Plan Strategic Sites Key Diagram [pdf document, 296kb]
- Sustainability Appraisal [pdf document, 1.7mb]
- Sustainability Appraisal Report: Appendices [pdf document, 6.6mb]
- Non technical summary of the Sustainability Appraisal [pdf document, 346kb]
- Habitats Regulations Assessment: Appropriate Assessment Screening Report [pdf document, 913kb]
- Equalities Impact Assessment [pdf document]
- Disability Equalities Impact Assessment [pdf document]
A range of Core Strategy Background papers [external link] have been relied upon in the preparation of the Core Strategy
Responses received to the consultation of the Core Strategy Revised Preferred Options
- CSRPO Comments Chapter 3 [pdf document]
- CSRPO Comments Chapter 4 [pdf document]
- CSRPO Comments Chapter 5 [pdf document]
- CSRPO Comments Chapter 6 [pdf document]
- CSRPO Comments Chapter 7 [pdf document]
- CSRPO Comments Chapter 8 [pdf document]
- CSRPO Comments Chapter 9 [pdf document]
- CSRPO comments General, LIP and SA [pdf document]
Summary of comments from public meetings [pdf document]
Core Strategy: Preferred Options 2008
Consultation on the Core Strategy: Preferred Options has now ended. The responses have been summarised and can be read in the summary document [pdf document, 373kb].
The same key issues are addressed, relating to:
- Achieving a more Sustainable Community
- A Prosperous Darlington
- A Vibrant Town Centre and Accessible Local Services
- Quality Housing for all
- A Distinctive, Greener, Cleaner, Safer Darlington
- A Healthy Darlington
- Efficient and Effective Transport Infrastructure
- Core Strategy: Issues and Options 2008 [pdf document, 953k]
- Summary [pdf document]
- Publicity Leaflet [pdf document, 427k]
- Sustainability Appraisal Report [pdf document, 1.54mb]
- Sustainability Appraisal Non Technical Summary [pdf document, 653kb]
- Appropriate Assessment [pdf document 387kb]
- Appropriate Assessment Report [pdf document]
- Appropriate Assessment Non-Technical Summary [pdf document]
Sustainability Appraisal - scoping report
The LDF must be subject to a Sustainability Appraisal (SA) to inform the production of its policies, and to help mitigate as far as possible any negative impacts that may arise from them. A SA scoping report has been produced to set out the sustainability objectives that will be used to appraise the revised policies within the Darlington Borough Council LDF, along with the background of other policies and baseline information used to arrive at the objectives. The final report has been produced following a period of consultation on a draft SA scoping report.
- Final Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report August 2009 [pdf document]
- Final Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report Appendices August 2009 [pdf document]
- Responses to Comments Made on the Draft SA Scoping report [pdf document]
Issues and Options 2008
The Core Strategy Issues and Options consultation was carried out between 7 January and 15 February 2008. A total of 101 responses were received.
The Council report that summarises the consultation that has been undertaken and the consideration given to the responses can be viewed or downloaded here. Please note that Officer comments can be viewed at the end of each issue.
- Contents [pdf document]
- Introduction [pdf document]
- Visions and objectives [pdf document]
- Theme 1 [pdf document]
- Theme 2 [pdf document]
- Theme 3 [pdf document]
- Theme 4 [pdf document] - To be updated
- Theme 5 [pdf document]
- Theme 6 [pdf document]
- Theme 7 [pdf document]
- Sustainability appraisal and appropriate assessment [pdf document]
- Any other comments [pdf document]
- Appendix 1 [pdf document]
The responses to this consultation have been fed into the Core Strategy: Preferred Options (see above).