West Lancashire Replacement Local Plan

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• West Lancashire Replacement Local Plan

• View the Replacement Plan text and maps (external link)
• Download the Replacement Plan text (8mb)

Saving the Replacement Plan's policies

The policies of the Replacement Plan were due to expire on 5 July 2009. However, the Planning Act 2004 allows us to "save" the plan's policies beyond this date if we have good reason for doing so.

As our Local Development Framework is not yet in place, we applied to the Government Office for the North West (GONW) to save the majority of the Replacement Plan policies. In May 2009, GONW confirmed that 47 of the plan's 49 policies will be saved.

The only policies not being saved are DE17 - Tourism Development, and DE18 - Advertisements. The content of these two policies is adequately covered by other local plan or national policies. 

Please note that an Interim Housing Policy (which relaxes Local Plan Policy DE1) was adopted by Council in July 2010, and will be an important consideration when assessing planning applications for housing.

• Download the GONW direction and saved policies schedule (400kb)
• Download the Council report setting on saving policies (210kb)

Replacement Local Plan

After a preparation process lasting five years, the Replacement West Lancashire Local Plan was adopted by the Council on 5 July 2006. It has been amended in line with the recommendations of the Inspector's Report following the 2005 Local Plan Inquiry. The Replacement Plan supersedes the West Lancashire Local Plan 1999 as the adopted development plan for the borough.

Since the Replacement Plan's adoption, we have been working on various documents which will make up West Lancashire's Local Development Framework, as required under the new planning system introduced in 2004. 

View or download the Replacement Plan

• View the Replacement Plan text and maps (external link)

Alternatively, the plan's text can be downloaded by clicking on the links below:

• Chapter 1: Introduction (175kb)
• Chapter 2: Development Strategy Policies (290kb)
• Chapter 3: General Development Policies (70kb)
• Chapter 4: Policies for Protecting and Enhancing the Environment (460kb)
• Chapter 5: Development & Economy Policies (320kb)
• Chapter 6: Social & Community Policies (370kb)
• Appendices (50kb)

A paper version of the plan is available for sale at a cost of £15 for residents of West Lancashire, and £30 for non-residents (including postage). The plan may be viewed in libraries and post offices across West Lancashire, or at the Council offices (52 Derby Street) during normal working hours.

Replacement Plan Inspector's Report 2006

The Council received the Inspector's Report from the Replacement Local Plan Public Inquiry in May 2006. The Report is binding on the Council; in other words, all of the Inspector's recommendations have had to be carried out.

• You can download the Inspector's Report online.

Contacts us

Ian Gill, Interim Head of Planning Policy and Environment
Tel: 01695 585192

Peter Richards, LDF Team Leader

Tel: 01695 585046

Email the LDF team at: LDF@westlancs.gov.uk