A development plan is an aspect of town and country planning in the United Kingdom comprising a set of documents that set out the local authority's policies and proposals for the development and use of land in their area. The development plan guides and shapes day-to-day decisions as to whether or not planning permission should be granted, under the system known as development control or development management in Scotland. In order to ensure that these decisions are rational and consistent, they must be considered against the development plan adopted by the authority, after public consultation and having proper regard for other material factors. Section 38 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires that decisions made should be in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Although development plans do not have to be rigidly adhered to, they provide a firm basis for rational and consistent planning decisions.
Context
In England and Wales, the development plan may contain a number of documents: Counties and most non-metropolitan unitary districts are covered by structure plans and local plans. Structure plans may in some cases be prepared on a joint basis between two or more authorities. County, national park and some unitary authorities also prepare minerals and waste local plans are also deemed to be local plans. In London and the metropolitan areas, and in a few non-metropolitan unitary areas, authorities produce unitary development plans, which combine the functions of structure and local plans and include minerals and waste policies. Local plans and UDPs identify particular areas as suitable for housing, industry, retail or other uses, and set out the policies which the authority proposes to apply in deciding whether or not development will be permitted. The preparation of Local Plans and UDPs gives the community the opportunity to influence the detailed policies and specific proposals for the future development and use of land in their area. Because the plan forms the statutory basis for planning decisions, local people are involved in its preparation. In Scotland, following the passing of the Planning etc. Act 2006, the development plan comprises Strategic Development Plans, Local Development Plans and statutory Supplementary Guidance. National Park Authorities in Scotland also act a Planning Authority for the development of planning policy, and the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs and the Cairngorms National Park Local Plans also form part of the wider development plan. In India Development Plan process is a provincial/state subject. There are various town planning authorities under each province/state that assess the growth of areas, identify suitable areas for housing, industry, public infrastructure and allocate budgets. Each of the metropolitan cities in India has an Agency which is responsible for Development Planning exercise of the cities. Mumbai city has Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority commonly known as MMRDA. Similarly there is Delhi Development Authority for Delhi, Bangalore now called as Bengaluru has Bengaluru Development Authority, Kolkata has Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority and there is Chennai Metropolitan Development Authorityfor the south Indian city ofChennai. Countries in the Middle East have started to launch national Development Plans where they draw up plans for diversifying their economies. See for example the Saudi Vision 2030, Qatar National Vision 2030, UAE vision 2021 and Kuwait Vision 2035. A number of ambitious plans including visions on how to improve their societies socio-economically.
Current practice
The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 has introduced a number of additional documents that will eventually supersede those mentioned above. These include:
