All planning decisions - from deciding whether to build a new shopping centre, to whether to approve a new housing development - are assessed against the council’s local plan.
It helps to make sure the district is developed in the right way, including building the right number and types of houses, developing the right kind of shopping and recreation facilities, getting the right office and industrial spaces, creating opportunities for local jobs to be nurtured and protecting our wildlife, landscapes and heritage.
The council's adopted local plan consists of the local plan strategy document, local plan allocations document and the local plan policies maps.