Local Development Framework

The Local Development Framework (LDF) is a set of Local Development Documents that guide planning and development in the Royal Borough. The LDF can be thought of as a folder comprising of three different types of Local Development Documents:

1. Development Plan Documents which form part of the statutory development plan.
2. Supplementary Planning Documents which amplify the policies of the statutory development plan.
3. Supporting documents which relate to the process of preparing Local Development Documents.

The Council will produce the following principal Development Plan Documents:

• Core Strategy and Policies DPD; and
• Delivery and Development Principles DPD.

The detailed structure of the Royal Borough's LDF and its timetable for production, is set out in the Local Development Scheme. For further information on each document please visit the dedicated page.

It is necessary to ensure that development can be delivered in the ways envisaged by the LDF.  To ensure this, the LDF has to be soundly based on a robust and credible evidence.  The Council has already undertaken a number of monitoring reports and specialist studies.  For more information on the Evidence Base, including forthcoming work, please visit the dedicated webpage.

Following the implementation of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, LDFs have replaced the system of Structure Plans and Local Plans. Until the LDF is fully established, policies from the Local Plan and Structure Plans can be saved. For more information on saved policies please visit the Local Plan webpage.

As unitary authorities, the responsibility for preparing minerals and waste policies in Berkshire is exercised concurrently by the six local authorities, through the Joint Strategic Planning Unit (JSPU). The JSPU is preparing a Joint Minerals and Waste LDF, which upon completion will replace the existing Minerals Local Plan and Waste Local Plan. For more information please visit the Minerals and Waste webpage.