Policy Background

1.10 National planning policy: The government has published a number of Planning Policy Guidance Notes (PPGs) and their successors, Planning Policy Statements (PPSs), setting out its position on various planning topics. These are reviewed from time to time and will probably continue to be reviewed or replaced during the lifetime of this Plan. The borough council will have regard to the content of PPGs, PPSs and other relevant government policy statements in formulating local planning policy and determining applications for development.

1.11 Regional planning policy: In November 2000 the Government Office for the East of England published “Regional Planning Guidance Note 6: Regional Planning Guidance for East Anglia to 2016” (RPG6). It sets out the regional development strategy for Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire up to 2016. At the time of preparing this Plan a new regional guidance, Regional Spatial Strategy 14 (RSS14), was being prepared by the East of England Regional Assembly to cover the new, larger, East of England region. This guidance will, when adopted, supersede RPG6 and provide a strategy for the region to 2021. Although the Panels Report of the Examination in Public of the draft RSS14 was published shortly before this Plan was adopted, this Plan has been prepared in accordance with the approved RPG6 as the RSS has some way to go before it is approved by the government. However, the borough council expects that RSS14 will be play a significant role in guiding the strategy of the new Local Development Framework for St Edmundsbury which, when approved, will supersede this Local Plan. The Borough Council will have regard to the content of RPG6 and the emerging Regional Spatial Strategy in determining applications for development.

1.12 Suffolk County Structure Plan: Suffolk County Council adopted the Suffolk County Structure Plan Review in 2001. The Plan interprets the regional planning guidance and sets out a strategy for development in Suffolk to 2016. A number of policies in the Structure Plan provide a level of detail which is sufficient for the determination of planning applications at a local level. This Local Plan does not repeat these policies but, in submitting proposals for development, applicants will be expected to have regard to the content of the County Structure Plan. As part of the changes to the planning system, under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, the policies which form the County Structure Plan have been automatically saved for a period of three years. At the end of this period these policies will, where appropriate, have been incorporated within the Regional Spatial Strategy and it will be this document which will inform the preparation of the future St Edmundsbury Borough Local Development Framework.

1.13 Suffolk Minerals Local Plan and Suffolk Waste Local Plan: The Suffolk Minerals Local Plan was adopted in May 1999 and contains strategic policies for the control of mineral extraction and related development. The County Council had commenced work on replacing it with development plan documents at the time this Plan was adopted. The Suffolk Waste Local Plan was adopted in February 2006 and provides a comprehensive framework for planning for waste management in Suffolk until 2016. It sets out policies and proposals for determining planning applications for waste development in the borough. Both of these documents form part of the overall Development Plan for the borough and applicants will be expected to have regard to the content of these plans where appropriate.

1.14 Other Policy Considerations: A number of other, nonstatutory, policy documents will be considered in the implementation of the Local Plan and in determining planning applications. These documents include the Suffolk Local Transport Plan, the East of England Development Agency regional economic strategy and other strategies which have been the subject of community participation in their preparation.