Planning for Our Future….Looking Ahead to 2016

The Leicester, Leicester and Rutland Structure Plan 1996 - 2016, was adopted on 7th March 2005. Under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 policies in the Plan were “saved” for a 3 year period ending on the 7th March 2008. The Structure Plan will be replaced where necessary by elements of the Regional Spatial Strategy (due to be adopted September 2008) and district LDF documents (Core Strategies to be adopted through 2009 and 2010).

A list of proposed saved Structure Plan policies was submitted to the East Midlands Regional Assembly and the ‘Endorsement of Advice on Saving Structure Plan Policies Post March 2008’ report was considered by the EMRA’s Housing, Planning and Transport Board on 18^th December 2007.

Only two policies have been extended:

·Housing Policy 1

·Housing Policy 3

All remaining policies expired on the 7th March 2008.

An Introduction to the Structure Plan

Other Structure Plan Related Documents

Who to contact for Further Information

The Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Structure Plan 1996 - 2016 was adpoted on 7th March 2005. It replaced the Leicestershire Structure Plan that covered the period up to 2006.

The Plan was prepared jointly by Leicestershire County Council, Leicester City Council and Rutland County Council. It provides a strategic planning framework for development and use of land consistent with national and regional policy. Structure Plans guide the more detailed policies and proposals of Local Development Frameworks and decisions on planning applications.

The Plan covers important land use issues such as how many new houses are needed, creating major employment sites, new road proposals, providing for recreation, leisure and shopping, mining and the disposal of waste. However, new development needs will be balanced by preserving the area’s unique historic, cultural and natural assets, and by creating an environment that promotes the social and economic well-being of local communities.

Leicestershire County Council, Leicester City Council and Rutland County Council began the process of preparing the joint Structure Plan in 1998 when a Consultation Draft Plan was prepared and placed on deposit. Representations received were considered when the Three Councils prepared the Deposit Draft Plan.

A Deposit Draft Plan was then placed on 'deposit' for a period of six weeks between 22nd May and 3rd July 2000. Local people and other interested organisations were invited to make objections to and representations of support on the Plan.

The Three Councils took full account of these representations in preparing Proposed Pre-EIP Changes to the Plan. These were placed on 'deposit' on 14th March 2001. In addition to the deposit representations the Three Councils also took account of recent government guidance and policy statements, the emerging Regional Planning Guidance for the East Midlands and other new information.

The key issues raised during the consultation exercises on both the Deposit Draft Plan and the Proposed Pre-EIP Changes were examined in front of an independent panel at the Examination-in-Public (EIP) held between 26th June and 5th July 2001.

The three councils received the Report of the Panel which contains their recommendations in September 2001.

The three councils have published a statement of decisions on each of the recommendations in the report of the panel, with reasons for each decision. Proposed Modifications to the Deposit Draft Structure Plan were placed on deposit for comment between the 7th June until 19th July 2002.

The three councils considered the representations received on the Proposed Modifications and  intended to adopt the proposals without advertising further modifications. A notice of the intention to adopt the Structure Plan was advertised on 16th July 2003 and the Statement of Decisions and Reasons on Objections to the Proposed Modifications and the Written Statement as Proposed to be Adopted were made available for inspection on 14th July 2003.

On the 12th August 2003 the Three Councils received a direction from the Secretary of State to modify the proposals on Green Belt and the quantity of housing land outside of the Central Leicestershire Policy Area (CLPA). This meant that adoption of the Structure Plan was delayed and did not happen on 15th August 2003 as intended.

In order to address the Direction, a Further Proposed Modification was placed on deposit for six weeks until Thursday 4th November 2004, deleting Strategy Policy 17: Green Belt.

At the same time a revision to the Statement of Decisions and Reasons on Objections to the Proposed Modifications was issued.  The revised text sets out how the housing figures were determined, without taking account of unimplemented local plan allocations.

On the 6th December 2004 the Three Councils received confirmation that, in publishing the Further Modification and Revised Statement of Decisions and Reasons on Objections to the Proposed Modifications and providing a revised Housing Technical Paper they had complied with the Direction.

The Three Councils considered representations received on the Further Proposed Modifications and proposed to adopt the proposals without advertising further modifications.

The Structure Plan was adopted on 7th March 2005, and the Statement of Decisions and Reasons on Objections to the Further Proposed Modifications were made available for inspection.

Structure Plan - Written Statement -Adopted 7th March 2005 ( Word Version)

Structure Plan - Written Statement Adopted -7th March 2005 (pdf format 94KB)

View Adopted Structure Plan Key Diagram (pdf 262KB) and Inset Maps (pdf 143KB)

This document combines the Written Statement and Explanatory Memorandum. The Explanatory Memorandum includes all the Structure Plan Policies but in addition it justifies the policies, gives the information on which they are based, and explains their relationship to national and regional planning guidance.  The Explanatory Memorandum does not form part of the plan.

In this document, the policies are shown in a large bold typeface and have a policy number, e.g Strategy Policy 1. All other text is part of the Explanatory Memorandum.

View Explanatory Memorandum  ( Word Version 855 KB)

View Explanatory Memorandum ( PDF 2 689KB)

View Explanatory Memorandum- Map of Structure Plan Area (pdf 1 041KB)

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Consultation Draft of the Structure Plan

Deposit Draft Structure Plan (also available in pdf format)

Proposed Pre-Examination-in-Public Changes to the Deposit Draft Structure Plan

Proposed Modifications to the Deposit Draft Structure Plan

Technical Paper 1 - Housing June 2002

Technical Paper 2 - Sustainability Appraisal June 2002

Direction Letter from Government Office for the East Midlands (pdf format)

Written Statement as Proposed to be Adopted. December 2004

Structure Plan Key Diagram (pdf 262KB)   Key Diagram Inset Maps (pdf 143KB)

Statement of Decisions and Reasons on Objections to the Further Proposed Modifications. December 2004.

Withdrawal of Direction letter from Government Office for the East Midlands ( pdf format)

Revised Housing Technical Paper

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The Mineral and Waste Local Plans

The Mineral and Waste Local Plans set out the aims and objectives for mineral and waste developments within Leicestershire. They provide policies and proposals to guide future mineral and waste activities indicating where these are likely to take place.

The adopted Structure Plan Written Statement and the Structure Plan Explanatory Memorandum and Written Statement are available to view at main libraries and council offices. The documents can be purchased at a cost of £15 and £30 respectively and are available in large print and on audio tape.

Copies of historic Structure Plan documents are also available on request; the Deposit Draft Structure Plan, Proposed Pre EIP changes, the Report of the Panel, the Proposed Modifications, Statement of Decisions and Reasons on Objections to the Proposed Modifications and the Written Statement as Proposed to be adopted. The Deposit Draft Structure Plan can be purchased for £20, the Proposed Pre EIP changes can be purchased for £5 and the Report of the Panel and the Proposed Modifications for £10.

If you want a copy of any of the above or further information, please contact: