Former Copeland planning policies.
The Planning Policy Team are responsible for producing local land use policies, allocations and guidance that are used in deciding planning applications and therefore guide future development in the Copeland Borough.
Cumberland Council inherited the local development plan documents of each of the former Councils including the Cumbria Minerals and Waste Local Plan documents. These documents will continue to be used, in the relevant former Council areas, to decide planning applications until they are replaced by new Cumberland Local Plan documents.
The reports are PDF files and may not be suitable for assistive technology.
The Copeland Local Plan 2021 to 2039 sets out the planning policies used to determine development and guide future growth in the area.
The Local Plan documents include:
Documents relating to the preparation and examination of the Copeland Local Plan 2021 to 2038 are available in the Examination library.
Some planning decisions may still rely on policies from earlier Local Plan documents where they have not yet been replaced.
The current development plan includes:
Local Plan 2013 to 2028: Interactive proposals map.
Documents:
The Lake District National Park Authority is the local planning authority for the national park area. It produces its own Local Plan, which sets out planning policies and guidance.
View the Lake District National Park Local Plan on the Lake District National Park Authority website.
The Local Development Framework contains a portfolio of Local Development Documents (LDDs). Local Development Documents are generally Development Plan Documents (DPDs) or Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs).
Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) cover a range of issues and provide further explanation or detail as to how a policy in a Development Plan Document (DPD) should be implemented. SPDs are consulted on in draft form but are not subject to independent examination.
SPDs will be a material consideration in making decisions on planning applications and will therefore carry significant weight in decision-making.
The Pow Beck Valley Development Brief SPD supports the regeneration of the area.
We adopted this SPD in January 2008.
It informs developers and other interested parties of the constraints and opportunities presented by the Pow Beck Valley area, and indicate the type of development expected.
The Cumbria Wind Energy Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) was produced in partnership with Cumbrian Local Authorities and formally adopted by the local planning authorities in Allerdale, Carlisle, Copeland, Eden, South Lakeland and the Lake District National Park. It provides locational guidance for wind farm developments.
This SPD was adopted in January 2008.
Documents:
We adopted the Whitehaven Town Centre and Harbourside Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) on 6th September 2012.
The SPD refers to the Town Centre and Harbourside area of Whitehaven and has been produced to promote high quality design in new development, taking account of the historic context of the town centre and harbour.
Documents:
The South Whitehaven Plan has been prepared by the Planning Policy Team, in partnership with Story Homes and Home Group.
It was adopted in March 2013.
The South Whitehaven area extends from the existing housing area around Woodhouse and Greenbank south to the junction at St Bees Road and Wilson Pit Road, but excluding land around High House and Greenbank Farm. The SPD sets out a planning framework for the development of around 600 new houses together with a range of proposed improvements to local neighbourhoods. It builds on the housing market renewal activity and improvements are likely to include enhancing the quality and range of neighbourhood facilities in the area. The SPD also includes design principles for the new housing, taking into consideration the local character of the area and the outstanding location with its views to the western fells and the Irish Sea.
Documents:
Work has started on the preparation of a new Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for the area of coastal fringe between the Candlestick Chimney in the north and Birkhams Quarry to the south. The SPD will encompass the former chemicals works on the “Marchon / Rhodia” site, Haig Mining Museum and part of the St Bees SSSI along the coastal strip. The Cumbrian Coastal Path runs approximately north / south through the area, linking Whitehaven Harbour to the North West’s only section of Heritage Coast at St Bees Head.
West Whitehaven has a complex and extensive history of mining, quarrying and industrial activity which has left a legacy of ground contamination, mine shafts and scars in the landscape, as well as a number of buildings and structures of historical and archaeological interest. The area also supports a variety of interesting and nationally significant wildlife.
The SPD will set out planning guidelines for West Whitehaven’s future protection and enhancement, and will identify possible areas where carefully designed, small scale development which meets local needs, may be acceptable.
Documents:
We adopted the Shopfront Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) on the 7th September 2021.
The SPD is designed to help ensure attractive and effective shopfronts are provided and maintained in order to support the vitality of the borough’s town centres and villages.
Neighbourhood planning allows local communities to shape development in their area.
Once adopted, a neighbourhood plan becomes part of the development plan. It is used when planning applications are assessed within that area.
There are 3 types of neighbourhood planning:
Neighbourhood plans are the most common form of neighbourhood planning.
They are led by parish or town councils, or a neighbourhood forum where one does not exist.
The council’s role is to:
Neighbourhood plans must:
The neighbourhood planning process is set out in the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012.
The process includes defining a neighbourhood area, preparing a plan and independent examination followed by a local referendum.
Neighbourhood planning has taken place in parts of Copeland, including:
These areas are authorised to prepare neighbourhood plans, which will form part of the development plan once adopted.
Guidance from the Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE)
Guidance from the Cumbria Association of Local Councils (CALC)
The Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) contains a number of monitoring statistics, including progress made towards the Local Plan. The publication of the AMR enables the council to publish a comprehensive set of data about the borough that is easily and publicly accessible, to meet a wide range of data requests that Planning Services receives.
The Five Year Land Supply reports set out the council's position with regards to demonstrating a five year supply of deliverable housing land.
We have to prepare, publish and maintain a brownfield register. The register consists of two parts.
Part 1 is a list of sites which could be considered suitable for residential development on brownfield land (previously developed land)
Part 2 is made up of sites which have been taken forward from Part 1 of the register and given Planning Permission in Principle (PIP)
Infrastructure Statement contains details of all developer contributions agreed, spent and transferred during the monitoring year.