Local Development Framework

Under a new planning system we are required to produce a local development framework (LDF) within a 3-year period to replace our unitary development plan (UDP) and provide the basis for land use and spatial planning in the borough.

The government wants LDFs to provide a more streamlined and transparent approach to development planning, with increased community involvement in the plan-making process.

The LDF will effectively comprise a portfolio of statutory and non-statutory local development documents (LDDs) to be kept under continual review. Local planning authorities have the ability to update and replace individual documents as and when required.

The LDF will also have a broader scope than existing UDPs, beyond those matters that are purely implemented through the planning system with the LDF taking responsibility for the delivery of the land use objectives of the Community Plan and the other strategies operating across the borough.

Local development scheme (LDS)

The LDS is a project plan for the production of the borough's LDF. It outlines what planning documents we are proposing to produce and when, and at what stage you can expect to be involved in the planning process. Our LDS took effect from 1 April 2007 and can be downloaded from this page. It is anticipated that the LDS will next be updated in autumn 2008 following the publication of the alterations to Planning Policy Statement 12 (PPS 12).

Statement of community involvement (SCI)

The SCI was adopted in September 2006 and sets out how we intend to involve you in the preparation of local development documents and in making decisions on individual planning applications. The SCI identifies the community groups to be involved and the techniques to be used to engage them in the planning process. It also shows how the process of community involvement will be resourced and managed effectively and how the results will feed into the preparation of local development documents. We are required to consult on proposals for community involvement and the SCI itself has been subject to an independent examination.

Development plan documents (DPDs)

DPDs are statutory local development documents and will form the basis for development control decisions. All DPDs will be subject to rigorous procedures of community involvement and independent examination. DPDs should also contain key targets and indicators to ensure the success of policies and proposals can be effectively monitored. The DPDs which we must produce include:
Core strategy – To provide the overall vision and spatial strategy for the borough over a period of at least 10 years and will also contain generic development control policies.
Site specific allocations of land – Identification of sites for specific purposes, based on a robust assessment of sustainability and availability of land for particular uses.
Area action plans – To provide more detailed planning guidance for areas subject to significant change.
Proposals map – To identify all policies and proposals contained in the other DPDs. The proposals map should identify areas of protection, such as green belt, identify site allocations and areas for which certain policies apply.

Employment Development Plan

Brentford Area Action Plan

Supplementary planning documents (SPDs)

We formally adopted our planning obligations and air quality supplementary planning documents (SPDs) on 11 March 2008.

SPDs are non-statutory local authority-approved guidance, which will be a material consideration in determining planning applications.

The LDS will identify the programme for replacing SPGs with SPDs, and proposed new SPDs, as new development plan documents replace saved policies in the UDP.

We will also include in our LDS details of SPG, which we intends to save (regard as being a material consideration in the determination of planning applications), and how they relate to saved policies of the UDP.

If you have any questions or require further information with regards to any of the above documents, please contact us on 020 8583 5202, fax 020 8583 5233, or email udp@hounslow.gov.uk.

Annual Monitoring Report (AMR)

Every local planning authority in England has a responsibility to produce an Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) that presents an analysis of planning policy performance and effects, to assess whether objectives and policies are being achieved, as well as providing a review of Local Development Framework production.

Hounslow's AMR contains information on the implementation of the Local Development Scheme (LDS) and the extent to which local policies and targets in the Unitary Development Plan are being achieved. However, the AMR is not just a planning document. It pulls together a broad range of factual information for topic areas such as housing, employment and retail. The report also considers money secured through Section 106 planning agreements and where money received has been spent.

The council produced its fourth AMR covering the period April 1 2007 to March 31 2008 in December 2008.

Documents are available for download to the right of this page.

Supply of ready to develop housing sites

Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing requires local planning authorities to maintain a five year supply of deliverable sites for housing. At 1 April 2007, we were able to demonstrate 7.5 years housing land supply. Documents are available for download to the right of this page.

Background documents

Hounslow Employment Land Study 2004

A detailed borough wide employment land study has been completed by consultants Llewelyn Davies in association with Michael Beaman Ltd as a background document, which plays a part in the review of the Borough's employment policies and designations.

Please note that the Hounslow Employment Land Study is a background document, for which the views expressed in the report are those of the consultants and do not necessarily represent those of the London Borough of Hounslow.

Copies of the document are also available for purchase for £50.

Documents are available for download to the right of this page.

West London Retail Needs Study 2006

A joint retail study has been undertaken for London Boroughs of Hounslow, Hammersmith & Fulham and Ealing. The study identifies the need for retail and leisure floorspace to 2016 and beyond to 2021 at a Borough and town centre level.

The study includes:

Benchmarking of each centre in the retail hierachy
Assessment of need for additional convenience and comparison (retail) floorspace in each Borough and town centre taking into account commitments
Scenario testing of need for additional retail floorspace
Assessment of need for leisure facilities
Audits and qualitative health checks of the vitality and viability of the Borough’s town centres (Chiswick, Brentford, Feltham, Hounslow) and neighbourhood centres (Hounslow West, Bedfont, Old Isleworth , Heston, Cranford, Hanworth, Isleworth)

The study has been completed by GVA Grimley LLP as a background document to inform the Brentford Area Action Plan and emerging Core Strategy. Please note that views expressed in the report are those of the consultants and do not necessarily represent those of the London Boroughs of Hounslow, Hammersmith & Fulham and Ealing.

The main report is available to download below

West London Retail Needs Study 2006 report ( PDF Help, size 3294kb)

The appendices to the main report are also available to download below

Volume 1 Appendices (incl. supporting tables) ( PDF Help, size 8314kb)

Volume 1 Plans (*not available to download, see below)

Volume 2 Centre Assessments (Health checks) ( PDF Help, size 4172kb)

Volume 3 Centre Audits, Boundaries and requirements (*not available to download, see below)

Volume 4 In-centre survey results ( PDF Help, size 2838kb)

Volume 5 Household Telephone Survey results ( PDF Help, size 3603kb)

*Due to the size of Volumes 1 (plans) and 3, please contact ldf@hounslow.gov.uk or 020 8583 5202 for an electronic copy.

Strategic Flood Risk Assessment October 2007

The London Borough of Hounslow Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) has collated all known sources of flooding that may affect existing and/or future development within the borough, and delineated areas of the borough that have a low, medium and high probability of flooding, in accordance with Planning Policy Statement 25 Development and Flood Risk (PPS25).

The assessment has been completed by Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. to inform our Local Development Framework. It will form the basis for preparing appropriate policies on flood risk management, and for applying the PPS25 Sequential and Exception Tests in the development allocation and development control processes.

The SFRA is a ‘living’ document and will be regularly reviewed in light of emerging policy directives and an improving understanding of flood risk in the borough.

The document is available for purchase on CD only at a cost of £15 (including postage). Payment should be made by cheque to London Borough of Hounslow and sent to address given below:

Strategic Planning Policy
London Borough of Hounslow
Civic Centre
Lampton Road
Hounslow
TW3 4DN