What is an LDF?

An LDF is a set of documents that sets out a long-term vision for an area and a strategy for achieving the vision. It will include a number of policies that will be used to guide and control development in ways that help achieve the vision and implement the strategy. The documents that it is proposed to produce to form the first Runnymede Local Development Framework can be found in the Local Development Documents section.

Planning to Improve Runnymede

The purpose of our local planning policies is to make Runnymede a better place for everyone.

They do this by:

· providing for the homes, services and jobs that we need

· protecting and improving the environment and our local heritage

· protecting and improving the facilities needed by the community

The policies are used to guide necessary development towards the most suitable locations and to control development to ensure that its benefits are maximised and any undesirable impacts are avoided or minimised.

The existing local plan for Runnymede contains many policies which continue to operate effectively and will be carried forward into the new plan.

A New Kind of Plan

Current policies are set out in the Borough Local Plan which can be viewed at the Council Offices in Addlestone or on the website under Local Plan. We need to ensure that the policies continue to meet the community’s needs and comply with changes in guidance at national, regional and county levels.

New government legislation means that the old local plan will be replaced by a Local Development Framework. This will be a set of planning documents prepared by the Council over the coming years with the community involved at all stages.

We don’t think that there is need for a significant change in the general approach of the local plan. This is to protect the green belt, provide for sustainable and environmentally sensitive development within the urban areas and promote our town centres as the primary locations for retail and other appropriate uses.

To get the new plan started we need to establish a core strategy and vision for Runnymede and to find out how the community can best be involved in the process. The responses we receive from returned questionnaires, meetings, letters and via our website will all be fed into the next stage

You can find out more about this aspect of the LDF in the Consultation section.