Central Lancashire covers the geographical areas of Preston, Chorley and South Ribble, which functions as one integrated local economy and commuting area. It is a single housing market area with high levels of self-containment, or families moving within the area. It is therefore appropriate to work strategically in collaboration to ensure our policy is joined up and complementary.
The three local authorities involved are Preston City Council, South Ribble Borough Council and Chorley Council. We have a long history of working together in partnership to produce local plans to inform land use and deliver strategic objectives. Our councils collaborated between 2008 and 2012 to produce the Local Development Framework which was jointly resourced between all three, whilst a Core Strategy team based at Lancashire County Council was created specifically to undertake this piece of work.
In July 2012, the three councils adopted the Core Strategy, the key document in the statutory development plan for the area, which sets out the strategic planning policies for Central Lancashire and is supported by the individual local plans, which were produced by each respective council in 2015.
In 2018, a review of the Core Strategy and individual local plans was begun with a view to delivering a single Central Lancashire Local Plan (CLLP), reflecting both the shared strategic policy objectives and more detailed non-strategic policies.
A special Central Lancashire Strategic Planning Joint Advisory Committee has also been established, made-up of elected members from each authority. This Committee has the responsibility to consider proposals, open them up to debate and move to endorse or challenge them at their discretion. Evidence-base and consultation documents can be found in our documents and evidence sections, including the existing strategy, emerging evidence base, as well as key assessments and consultation reports.
Local Development Scheme (LDS) is produced jointly to reflect the joint working between the three authorities, specifically the existing Core Strategy adopted in 2012 and the commitment to undertake a review of the Core Strategy and three Local Plans’ policies, in order to produce a single Central Lancashire Local Plan.
In Spring 2024, Central Lancashire Authorities have updated the timetable for the preparation of the Local Plan, which contained within the Local Development (LDS). The latest version of the LDS was approved by each Council during meetings held in March and April 2024.
The latest LDS can be viewed here.
