Sections 8 and 9 impose a statutory duty on a council to prepare a plan strategy and a local policies plan. These documents taken together constitute a local development plan. The local development plan must set out a council’s objectives and policies in relation to the development and use of land in its district and any other matters prescribed by regulations. A council must take account of the matters listed in these sections, including the Regional Development Strategy and must carry out a sustainability appraisal for the proposals in each document. The Department may prescribe the form and content of both the plan strategy and the local policies plan.