6 February 2012

Planning a sustainable future for Dartmoor National Park

New plan published

Dartmoor National Park Authority has published a development plan document (DPD) called the Development Management and Delivery DPD. It sets out detailed development management policies, including for example housing, traffic and tourism, to guide development within the National Park. The document also contains site specific policies for settlements, such as allocations of areas of land for housing.

The National Park Authority has worked with local communities and a wide range of other partners since early 2009 to prepare this document. The aim is to establish a planning framework that can help ensure that Dartmoor remains a special and vibrant place to live, work and visit in the period to 2026.

The publication version of the Development Management and Delivery DPD was produced after careful consideration of the public response on a consultation version of the plan, which came out in July 2011. Along with the Core Strategy DPD, which was adopted in 2008, the Development Management and Delivery DPD will eventually become the Local Plan for Dartmoor.

The publication version represents the final opportunity for people to submit representations on the document. The document will be formally submitted to the Secretary of State later in 2012. Following that submission, the document and all the public feedback will be independently examined by a planning inspector who will prepare a report on its soundness.

Representations on the publication version of the Development Management and Delivery DPD can be sent to the National Park Authority over a period ending on Wednesday 11 April 2012. The document is accessible on the Development Management and Delivery DPD page and may be freely downloaded. Representation forms are also available on this page. Printed copies of the document and representation form can be provided on request.

Comments may be sent by post to:

Mr Stephen Belli, Director of Planning, Dartmoor National Park Authority, Parke, Bovey Tracey, NEWTON ABBOT, Devon, TQ13 9JQ, by fax to (01626) 834684

or by e-mail to forwardplanning@dartmoor.gov.uk.

Ends

For further information

David Lillington, Senior Planning Officer (Forward Planning)

Mike Nendick, Communications Officer, Dartmoor National Park Authority

Tel: (01626) 832093

Agendas for full Dartmoor National Park Authority meetings and Dartmoor National Park Authority planning meetings are available on the Authority's website. The Agendas are placed on the web site 7 days in advance of the meetings.

Notes for Editors

The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (external link, opens new window)is the principal legislation governing the preparation of local planning documents in England. The main planning document is known as the core strategy and other documents may be prepared to add necessary detail. The 2004 Planning Act lays particular emphasis on the active involvement of the public in the preparation of plans. The National Park Authority has made great efforts to ensure that everyone has had an opportunity to input to the plan. In seeking to give greater opportunities to local communities to plan for their future, at the end of 2011, the Government passed the Localism Act 2011 (external link, opens new window). Among a wide range of measures, the Act gives powers to local communities to prepare their own neighbourhood plans and development orders.

Dartmoor National Park Authority began the process of preparing its planning documents under the 2004 Act in 2005. The first to be produced was the Core Strategy DPD, which was adopted by the National Park Authority in April 2008. Other planning documents forming part of the local plan for Dartmoor National Park include:

the Development Management and Delivery document, the subject of this consultation round
a Minerals and Waste document, and
a Design Guide supplementary planning document. The adopted version of the Design Guide was published in November 2011.

Dartmoor National Park Authority Planning documents put sustainable development principles within the special statutory and policy contexts that apply to the English National Parks so that development needs and conservation objectives can be kept in balance and Dartmoor’s special qualities protected.

National Parks cover 10% of the land area of England, Wales and Scotland. They are of special value to the whole nation because of their great beauty, their wildlife and cultural interests and the opportunities they offer for quiet enjoyment. However, they are not nationally owned - the land is in the hands of many landowners or occupiers including farmers. Over 34,500 people live inside the Dartmoor National Park and many millions of visits are made to it each year.

Send comments, enquiries, etc. to communications@dartmoor.gov.uk

Page last updated: 06 Feb 2012