Overview including LDS, SCI and IDP

Overview of the Eden Local Plan Review and Partial Review

The Eden Local Plan (2014 – 2032) was adopted in October 2018. In September 2019 the Council’s Executive took the decision to commence a full review of the Eden Local Plan to ensure it had closer links with the administration’s Strategic Objectives which are set out in the Corporate Plan. In particular the aim was to align the Eden Local Plan as far as possible to Eden District Council’s Declaration of a Climate and Biodiversity emergency in July 2019. The Council also aims to become carbon neutral by 2030. This is an ambitious but necessary target in order to tackle climate change and help protect biodiversity.

While evidence was being gathered and commissioned in relation to the Full Review of the Eden Local Plan, the government published its consultation on the Planning White Paper Planning for the Future on GOV.UK. In view of the significant changes it proposes to legislation concerning the production of Local Plans, as well as separate proposals relating to potential local government reorganisation within Cumbria, the Council considered both of these could have a significant effect on the agreed approach to the Local Plan review – in terms of content and timescales. In April 2021 a decision was therefore taken to prioritise a partial review of the Local Plan instead in order to consider climate change and design matters.

The Council was keen to complete the partial review and adopt the new policies, in as short a timescale as possible, so as to start making a difference as soon as possible in guiding new development. This would have enabled the Council to make a positive impact on the sustainable future of Eden District. With that in mind the scope of the new policies was kept narrow and the content of the policies focused on key priorities. This meant that the Partial Review would not cover all planning policy matters relating to climate change and design. Currently progress on the preparation of the Partial Review has been delayed and the subject matter of the review is likely to be picked up by the new Westmorland and Furness Unitary Authority after April 2023.

We are still commissioning/preparing evidence base documents to support the full review of the Eden Local Plan or a new Westmorland and Furness Local Plan. In particular the Council will be progressing the preparation of a Settlement Study.

In May 2021 the Council published a new Local Development Scheme (PDF 491Kb / 20 pages). This is still available to view but the timetables for the preparation of both the partial review and full review are now out of date.  In view of Local Government Reorganisation, there is little merit in reviewing the current LDS. A new LDS will be prepared for the new Westmorland and Furness Unitary Authority as soon as possible after 1 April 2023.

Details about who we will consult with, and how, as part of the preparation of the Full and Partial Review of the Local Plan are set out within the Council’s Statement of Community Involvement (PDF: 464Kb / 21 pages). Section 7 which relates to planning applications has been superseded by the Statement of community involvement, development management | Westmorland and Furness Council. A new Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) will be prepared for the new Westmorland and Furness Unitary Authority.

The current Eden Local Plan is supported by the Council’s Infrastructure Delivery Plan (PDF: 1,142Kb / 72 pages). The purpose of an IDP is: to assess existing infrastructure provision; consider what new infrastructure needs will arise as a result of new development being planned for; and to determine how those needs will be met and by whom. The annual Authorities Monitoring Report as of 2020/21 will include a section on the IDP. A new IDP will be prepared by the new Westmorland and Furness Unitary Authority in due course to support new planning policy development for the new authority.

It should be noted that the Eden Local Plan and any review or replacement will only affect the areas in Eden outside of the Lake District National Park and the Yorkshire Dales National Park. This is because Eden District Council is not the planning authority for the parts of Eden that fall within the National Parks. View a map showing the area covered by the Eden Local Plan partial and full review (209Kb / 1 page). Similarly the new Westmorland and Furness Unitary Authority will not the planning authority for the parts of the Lake District National Park and the Yorkshire Dales National Park.