Town and Country Planning Act 1990

Preparation and adoption of unitary development plans

12 Preparation of unitary development plan

(1) The local planning authority shall, within such period (if any) as the Secretary of State may direct, prepare for their area a plan to be known as a unitary development plan.

(2) A unitary development plan shall comprise two parts.

(3) Part I of a unitary development plan shall consist of a written statement formulating the authority’s general policies in respect of the development and other use of land in their area (including measures for the improvement of the physical environment and the management of traffic).

(4) Part II of a unitary development plan shall consist of—

(a) a written statement formulating in such detail as the authority think appropriate (and so as to be readily distinguishable from the other contents of the plan) their proposals for the development and other use of land in their area or for any description of development or other use of such land;

(b) a map showing those proposals on a geographical basis;

(c) a reasoned justification of the general policies in Part I of the plan and of the proposals in Part II of it; and

(d) such diagrams, illustrations or other descriptive or explanatory matter in respect of the general policies in Part I of the plan or the proposals in Part II of it as the authority think appropriate or as may be prescribed.

(5) A unitary development plan shall also contain such other matters as may be prescribed or as the Secretary of State may in any particular case direct.

(6) In formulating the general policies in Part I of a unitary development plan the authority shall have regard—

(a) to any strategic guidance given by the Secretary of State to assist them in the preparation of the plan;

(b) to current national and regional policies;

(c) to the resources likely to be available; and

(d) to such other matters as the Secretary of State may direct the authority to take into account.

(7) The proposals in Part II of a unitary development plan shall be in general conformity with Part I.

(8) Part II of a unitary development plan may designate any part of the authority’s area as an action area, that is to say, an area which they have selected for the commencement during a prescribed period of comprehensive treatment by development, redevelopment or improvement (or partly by one and partly by another method) and if an area is so designated that Part of the plan shall contain a description of the treatment proposed by the authority.

(9) In preparing a unitary development plan the authority shall take into account the provisions of any scheme under paragraph 3 of Schedule 32 to the [1980 c. 65.] Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 relating to land in their area which has been designated under that Schedule as an enterprise zone.

13 Publicity in connection with preparation of unitary development plan

(1) When preparing a unitary development plan for their area and before finally determining its contents the local planning authority shall take such steps as will in their opinion secure—

(a) that adequate publicity is given in their area to the matters which they propose to include in the plan;

(b) that persons who may be expected to desire an opportunity of making representations to the authority with respect to those matters are made aware that they are entitled to an opportunity of doing so; and

(c) that such persons are given an adequate opportunity of making such representations.

(2) The authority shall consider any representations made to them within the prescribed period.

(3) Where the local planning authority have prepared a unitary development plan, before adopting it they shall—

(a) make copies of it available for inspection at their office and at such other places as may be prescribed; and

(b) send a copy to the Secretary of State.

(4) Each copy made available for inspection under subsection (3) shall be accompanied by a statement of the time within which objections to the plan may be made to the authority.

(5) The copy of a unitary development plan sent to the Secretary of State under subsection (3) shall be accompanied by a statement—

(a) of the steps which the authority have taken to comply with subsections (1) and (2); and

(b) of the authority’s consultations with, and their consideration of the views of, other persons.

(6) If, on considering the statement submitted with and the matters contained in a unitary development plan and any other information provided by the local planning authority, the Secretary of State is not satisfied that the purposes of paragraphs (a) to (c) of subsection (1) have been adequately achieved by the steps taken by the authority in compliance with that subsection, he may, within 21 days of the receipt of the statement, direct the authority not to take further steps for the adoption of the plan without taking such further action as he may specify in order better to achieve those purposes and satisfying him that they have done so.

(7) A local planning authority who are given directions by the Secretary of State under subsection (6) shall—

(a) immediately withdraw the copies of the unitary development plan made available for inspection as required by subsection (3); and

(b) notify any person by whom objections to the plan have been made to the authority that the Secretary of State has given such directions.

14 Withdrawal of unitary development plan

(1) A unitary development plan may be withdrawn by the local planning authority at any time before it is adopted by the authority or approved by the Secretary of State and shall be withdrawn by the authority if the Secretary of State so directs.

(2) Where a unitary development plan is withdrawn the authority shall—

(a) withdraw the copies made available for inspection and sent to the Secretary of State under section 13(3); and

(b) give notice that the plan has been withdrawn to every person who has made an objection to it.

(3) In determining the steps to be taken by a local planning authority to secure the purposes of paragraphs (a) to (c) of subsection (1) of section 13, the authority and the Secretary of State may take into account any steps taken to secure those purposes in connection with any unitary development plan which the authority have previously withdrawn.

(4) Where a unitary development plan is withdrawn the copies of the plan shall be treated as never having been made available under section 13(3).

15 Adoption of unitary development plan by local planning authority

(1) After the expiry of the period given for making objections to a unitary development plan or, if such objections have been duly made during that period, after considering those objections, the local planning authority may, subject to the following provisions of this section and to sections 17 and 18, by resolution adopt the plan either as originally prepared or as modified to take account—

(a) of those objections;

(b) of any other objections made to the plan;

(c) of any other considerations which appear to the authority to be material.

(2) A unitary development plan shall not be adopted unless Part II of the plan is in general conformity with Part I.

(3) Where an objection to a unitary development plan has been made by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the local planning authority do not propose to modify the plan to take account of the objection, the authority—

(a) shall send the Secretary of State particulars of the objection and a statement of their reasons for not modifying the plan to take account of it; and

(b) shall not adopt the plan unless the Secretary of State authorises them to do so.

(4) Subject to the following provisions of this Chapter and to section 287, a unitary development plan shall become operative on the date on which it is adopted.

16 Local inquiries

(1) For the purpose of considering objections to a unitary development plan the local planning authority may, and shall in the case of objections made in accordance with regulations under this Chapter, cause a local inquiry or other hearing to be held by a person appointed by the Secretary of State or, in such cases as may be prescribed by regulations under this Chapter, by the authority themselves.

(2) Subsections (2) and (3) of section 250 of the [1972 c. 70.] Local Government Act 1972 (power to summon and examine witnesses) shall apply to an inquiry held under this section as they apply to an inquiry under that section.

(3) The [1971 c. 62.] Tribunals and Inquiries Act 1971 shall apply to a local inquiry or other hearing held under this section as it applies to a statutory inquiry held by the Secretary of State, but as if in section 12(1) of that Act (statement of reasons for decisions) the reference to any decision taken by the Secretary of State were a reference to a decision taken by a local planning authority.

(4) Regulations made for the purposes of this section may—

(a) make provision with respect to the appointment and qualifications for appointment of persons to hold a local inquiry or other hearing under this section, including provision enabling the Secretary of State to direct a local planning authority to appoint a particular person or one of a specified list or class of persons;

(b) make provision with respect to the remuneration and allowances of a person appointed for that purpose.

(5) No local inquiry or other hearing need be held under this section if all persons who have made objections have indicated in writing that they do not wish to appear.