What's it all about

Yes, GROWTH is coming to Luton and South Bedfordshire.

But how the growth will look and where it will go is still to be decided.

Although the housing and jobs targets have already been set in regional and sub-regional plans, there are still lots of important things about growth we need to think about.

We need to think about:

• Where the housing is going and how we want to build it
• Where new business parks and offices will be built so that we have good quality local jobs
• How we will get about using the local transport networks - roads, trains and other public transport
• How best to deliver local services and facilities such as health, leisure, policing, waste management and education

The New Planning System

n 2004, the planning system in England changed.  The biggest change under the new system is that district and borough councils no longer prepare Local Plans, and county councils will no longer prepare Structure Plans.  Instead, we now produce a Local Development Framework (LDF), which is a portfolio of Local Development Documents (LDDs) with different roles.  The Local Development Scheme (LDS) sits within this portfolio and sets the programme for the preparation and review of the other documents.  The LDF also contains a Core Strategy development plan document, which provides the main vision and guiding principles that all other planning policies must be in accordance with.  The Statement of Community Involvement (SCI), another part of the LDF portfolio, sets out what consultation will be undertaken at each stage of the preparation process for each type of document in the LDF. 

The planning agenda in Luton and South Bedfordshire

As you may be aware, the planning agenda for Luton and South Bedfordshire has changed dramatically since the old Local Plans were prepared.  Under the Government’s Sustainable Communities Plan, Luton and South Bedfordshire have become part of one of the four growth areas in the south east of England.  As part of the Milton Keynes and South Midlands growth area, we are charged with delivering over 26,000 homes by 2021, plus the jobs, schools, shops, community facilities and other infrastructure that needs to go alongside them. 

Joint-working

To help deliver this growth and to maximise the opportunities it provides for the area and its residents, Luton Borough Council and South Bedfordshire District Council, along with Bedfordshire County Council, are working together to prepare a joint Local Development Framework.  The Luton and South Bedfordshire Joint Committee has been set up to guide the process and the preparation of the joint LDF.