South Lakeland Local Plan

Last Updated: 13 December 2023

The plan sets out our vision and a framework for the future development of our district outside the National Parks. It looks at needs and opportunities in relation to housing, the economy, community facilities and infrastructure. It is also used for safeguarding the environment, adapting to climate change and securing good design.

The Local Plan helps deliver wider objectives included in other strategies and in our Council Plan.

Our Local Plan includes:

Core Strategy: Provides the strategic planning framework for the district, outside the National Parks. It sets out the long term vision, objectives and policies that guide proposals in the other Local Plan documents.

Land Allocations: Allocates land in our district for homes and jobs, and safeguards areas from development.

Development Management Policies Development Plan Document (DPD): Contains a set of planning policies that are used in the determination of planning applications, to ensure high standards of new development.

Arnside and Silverdale AONB Development Plan Document (DPD): Allocates sites for development and policies to guide development management decisions across the whole AONB, reflecting its special qualities and national protected landscape designation.

Neighbourhood Plans: Plans prepared by local communities to guide development in their local area.

Cumbria Minerals and Waste Local Plan: Prepared by Cumbria County Council, this document sets out policies and allocates sites to guide minerals and waste management development across Cumbria. 

Supplementary planning documents

We also have a number of Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD): Documents that provide extra detail on Local Plan policies and information to guide particular types or aspects of development, or particular sites. Our current SPDs include:

Local Plan guidance notes and interim planning statements

We also prepare additional guidance notes and interim planning statements to explain how Local Plan policies will be applied, for example if uncertainty or new requirements arise from national policy changes or ministerial statements. The following guidance notes and statements are currently available:

  • Affordable Housing Planning Policy Guidance Note (PDF 282KB / 8 pages) This note updates an earlier version published in November 2018, following further changes to national policy and guidance in 2019. Updates will be made to our planning application validation guidance to reflect the updated note in due course

  • First Homes Interim Position Statement (PDF 455KB / 14 pages) This statement advises how we will apply the government’s new requirement for a quarter of the affordable homes provided on development sites to be ‘First Homes’ for first time buyers

  • Climate Change Interim Planning Statement (PDF 347KB / 9 pages) This statement highlights the policies in our existing Local Plan that require development to mitigate and adapt to climate change, and introduces a climate emergency checklist for planning applications. It also states that the climate emergency is a material consideration in determining planning applications.

  • The Cumbria Good Lighting Technical Advice Note or TAN provides technical lighting guidance to planners and planning applicants, and is also designed to help any individual, organisation or community installing new or replacing existing lighting to make good lighting choices. The TAN provides the most up to date best practice lighting guidance and will be used as a material consideration in informing the determination of planning applications, prior approval notifications applications or other consents within Westmorland and Furness Local Planning Authority area as applicable.

Other Local Plan documents

The links below provide additional information on documents and reports that are related to the Local Plan.

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL): A charge on some new developments to pay towards infrastructure improvements.

Local Plan Evidence: A wide range of studies and data providing background information to the Local Plan, including evidence relating to five year land supply.

Local Development Scheme: Sets out a timetable for preparing documents to be included in the Local Plan.

Annual Monitoring Reports: Review progress made in the preparation of Local Plan documents and assesses the effectiveness of policies.

Statement of Community Involvement (PDF 247KB / 29 pages): Setting out how and when we will engage with the community and other key stakeholders when we prepare and revise Local Plan documents.

North West Marine Plans

The government adopted and published the North West Marine Plan on 23 June 2021. The Marine Plan provides a framework to shape and inform decisions over how the areas' waters (inshore, offshore and inter-tidal areas) are developed, protected and improved over the next 20 years. The North West Marine Plan must be used for all planning decisions for the sea, coast and tidal waters (which sometimes can extend a long distance inland), as well as developments that impact these areas, such as infrastructure.

North West Marine Plan Technical Annex and Supporting Documents

More information can be found below: