Statutory Development Plans

Development planning is a continuous process of looking forward and deciding on a course of action to improve people's quality of life and the appearance of our environment in a sustainable way. It involves protecting the best, improving the worst, and aiming positively to ensure a better quality of life for everyone, now and for future generations.

Development plans focus on land use development and protection set within the context of wider social, economic and environmental trends and considerations. Reflecting national and regional planning policies, development plans make strategic provision for the long-term use of land and buildings, providing a framework for local decision making and the reconciliation of competing development and conservation interests.

They aim to ensure that land use changes proceed coherently, efficiently, and with maximum community benefit. Development Plans indicate clearly how local residents, landowners, and other interested parties might be affected by land use change. They are subject to regular periods of intensive public consultation, involvement and negotiation.

Decisions on planning applications are made in accordance with the adopted Development Plan unless other material considerations, relating to land use development, indicate otherwise.

The town planning service in Torbay is provided by Planning Development and Policy. Strategic Planning in Torbay is the responsibility of the Strategic Planning Group, one of three sections that comprimise the Environmental Policy Team.

Please note:

The Government has introduced a major change to the planning system that will result in the gradual replacement of the Structure Plans and Local Plans by Regional Spatial Strategies (RSSs) and Local Development Frameworks (LDFs). The Adopted Torbay Local Plan will therefore be replaced in due course by the Torbay Local Development Framework 2005-2026. This will guide future growth and development in Torbay over the next 20 years. The Torbay LDF will consist of a 'portfolio' of Local Development Documents (LDDs).

A key strand of the new LDF process is the requirement for rigorous and clearly defined involvement with the community at different stages of document preparation.