2.4 The LDS must be made available to the public and kept up to date. It is important that local communities and interested parties can keep track of progress. Once completed local authorities are required to publish the LDS on their website.

2.5 The main changes to this LDS and that published in September 2020 ('Issue 11') are as follows:

• References to Greater Manchester's Plan for Homes, Jobs and the Environment (GMSF) have been replaced with Places for Everyone Joint Development Plan Document (PfE Joint DPD) and the profile has been amended to reflect the most recent timetable; and
• The profiles for the Local Plan review and Proposals Map have been amended to reflect changes to the timetable.

2.6 Up until December 2020 a joint development plan document (DPD) of the ten Greater Manchester local authorities was being prepared - Greater Manchester’s Plan for Jobs, Homes & the Environment (known as the “GMSF”). The GMSF 2020 had reached the Regulation 19 (Publication) stage of the process. However, the withdrawal of Stockport Council from GMSF signalled its end as a joint plan for the ten Greater Manchester districts.

2.7 The changes to the GMSF / PfE Joint DPD terminology are therefore needed to reflect that the nine remaining Greater Manchester councils (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan) have agreed to form a joint committee to prepare Places for Everyone - a joint development plan document for jobs, new homes and sustainable growth across their boroughs.

3 Oldham's Local Plan

3.1 Figure 2 shows the existing components of Oldham’s Local Plan. It comprises a series of documents which together provide the statutory development plan for the borough:

• The Joint Core Strategy and Development Management Policies Development Plan Document (Joint DPD)(1), adopted in November 2011;
• Proposals Map,(2) dated April 2013;
• The Greater Manchester Joint Waste Plan,(3) adopted in April 2012; and
• The Greater Manchester Joint Minerals Plan,(4) adopted in April 2013.

3.2 There are also a limited number of policies from the Oldham Unitary Development Plan (2006) that have been ‘saved’ and which continue to form part of the borough’s Local Plan. These policies are listed in Appendix 1.

3.3 Other documents that sit alongside and support the Local Plan include:

• The Statement of Community Involvement (SCI)(5), adopted 9 September 2020;
• Supplementary Planning Documents (6)on Oldham Town Centre Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan, Vibrant Centres, Urban Design Guide, Contaminated Land, and Air Quality and Development;
• Planning Position Papers(7)on Open Space and Supporting Oldham's Economy; and
• The authorities Monitoring Reports(8)

3.4 Further details of these documents are set out below.

Joint Core Strategy and Development Management Development Plan Document

3.5 The current statutory development plan is the Joint Core Strategy and Development Management Policies Development Plan Document (Joint DPD), adopted in November 2011. The Joint DPD is made up of the:

• Core Strategy, which sets out a spatial vision, strategic objectives, a planning and development strategy and a monitoring and implementation framework for achieving delivery; and
• Development Management policies, which set out criteria against which all applications for development and use of land or buildings will be assessed.

3.6 All other documents forming part of, and sitting underneath, the Joint DPD, such as Neighbourhood Plans and Supplementary Planning Documents, must be prepared in conformity with it.

Saved Unitary Development Plan policies

3.7 Oldham Council adopted the Unitary Development Plan (UDP) on 14 July 2006. At the time the UDP policies were automatically ‘saved’ for a period of three years under the 2004 Planning Act. The Secretary of State, in May 2009, agreed to extend the life of the UDP policies until they are replaced by the relevant part of the Local Plan.

3.8 Most of the 'saved' UDP policies have now been superseded by the Joint DPD, the GM Waste Plan and the GM Minerals Plan.

3.9 There are however, a small number of UDP policies that remain ‘saved’ as part of the Local Plan and these are listed in Appendix 1.

3.10 Following a review of the existing Local Plan the remaining ‘saved’ UDP policies will be replaced where appropriate or not taken forward.

Site Allocations DPD

3.11 It was the council’s intention to prepare a separate Site Allocations DPD to sit alongside the adopted Joint DPD. Rather than preparing an individual Site Allocations DPD it is now proposed to incorporate site allocations as part of a wider review of the Local Plan.

Proposals Map

3.12 It is the job of the Proposals Map to express spatially Oldham’s Local Plan, illustrating on a map any site-specific designations and land use allocations.

3.13 The Proposals Map was adopted in November 2011 alongside the Joint DPD. It has to be updated whenever a new DPD is adopted that has a site-specific element to it. It has, therefore, been updated following adoption of the GM Waste Plan and the GM Minerals Plan.

3.14 A new Proposals Map will be prepared and published to accompany Places for Everyone and the reviewed Local Plan as appropriate.

Waste and Minerals

3.15 The GM Waste Plan and GM Minerals Plan were both prepared by the Greater Manchester Minerals and Waste Planning Unit on behalf of the ten GM districts. Upon adoption these formed part of Oldham’s Local Plan.

3.16 The GM Waste Plan came into effect on 1 April 2012 and includes detailed development management policies. It also identifies sites and/or preferred areas for a range of waste management facilities. It supports Joint DPD Policy 7 on Sustainable Use of Resources – Waste.

3.17 The GM Minerals Plan came into effect on 26 April 2013. It includes detailed criteria based policies in relation to minerals development across GM, as well as policies covering Areas of Search and Minerals Safeguarding Areas. It supports Joint DPD Policy 8 on Sustainable Use of Resources – Minerals.

Supplementary Planning Documents

3.18 Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) expand on policies contained in the Local Plan, providing more guidance to help in their interpretation and implementation.

3.19 SPDs do not form part of the statutory development plan and are not subject to public examination. Changes brought in by the Planning Act 2008 mean the LDS does not have to include details of SPDs that may be prepared to support the Local Plan. As such, there are no SPD profiles included in this LDS.

3.20 A number of SPDs were prepared to support the UDP. Following adoption of the Joint DPD, the SPDs listed below are still considered to be material considerations in the determination of planning applications as they continue to provide relevant advice:

• Urban Design SPD(9)
• Air Quality and Development SPD(10); and the
• Contaminated Land SPD(11).

3.21 The Vibrant Centres SPD (12)was adopted 23 July 2012. The SPD supports Joint DPD policies 15 and 16, and in particular:

• Provides clear and consistent guidance for promoting and maintaining the vitality and viability of Oldham Town Centre and the borough’s other Centres;
• Provides clear and consistent guidance for new proposals and for changes of use for food and drink uses including hot food takeaways;
• Manages the concentration and clustering of hot-food takeaways and their potential impact on the local environment or amenity of neighbouring residents and businesses; and
• Ensures all relevant development contributes positively to the visual appearance of the area during opening and non-opening hours.

3.22 The Oldham Town Centre Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan(CAAMP) SPD(13) was adopted 19 August 2019. The SPD supports Joint DPD Policy 24 Historic Environment, and in particular:

• The CAAMP SPD aims to understand the significance of the Oldham Town Centre Conservation Area and suggests opportunities to enhance its character and appearance.
• The appraisal proposes four extensions to the existing Oldham Town Centre Conservation Area boundary. The extensions have been designated under section 69 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and will be treated as a material planning consideration until formally adopted through the Local Plan review process.
• The Management Plan has followed on from the appraisal of the conservation area. It sets out policies and recommendations around enhancement and regeneration of the conservation area as well as community engagement.

Planning Position Papers

3.23 In addition to the SPDs the council has prepared a number of Interim Planning Position Papers, which provide further advice and guidance on the interpretation and implementation of policies in the Local Plan. These have less weight than a SPD but are material considerations in the determination of relevant planning applications.

3.24 The Open Space Interim Planning Position Paper (14)sets out how the council will deal with open space contributions for the borough when determining planning applications for relevant development that may impact on open spaces. It must be read alongside Joint DPD Policy 23 on Open Spaces and Sports. In particular, the Paper:

• Identifies factors that should be considered when assessing if an open space contribution is considered appropriate;
• Details the types of open space contribution that may be considered appropriate; and
• Provides details on laying-out and maintenance costs of open spaces to act as guidance in negotiations.

3.25 The Supporting Oldham’s Economy Interim Planning Position Paper (15)provides further guidance on the interpretation and implementation of Joint DPD Policy 14 on Supporting Oldham's Economy. Policy 14 sets out that where the council is minded to approve the loss of an employment site that it will work with developers to secure measures, as appropriate, to support Oldham’s economy. The position paper provides further clarification, and examples, of the measures listed in Policy 14.

Statement of Community Involvement

3.26 The planning system places emphasis on community involvement in the preparation of a Local Plan. The council’s Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) outlines when and how the council will engage the community and stakeholders in the preparation of the Local Plan, the GMSF and other planning documents. It outlines how we will provide guidance and assistance to neighbourhood planning groups. It also sets out how the community will be consulted on planning applications.

3.27 The current SCI was adopted July 2021 and is available on the council's website at www.oldham.gov.uk.

Monitoring Reports

3.28 The authorities Monitoring Report is prepared and published annually. It monitors and reviews the implementation of policies in the Local Plan and provides information on the progress of documents identified for production. The report also provides detailed information on levels of house building and the borough’s potential housing land supply, including the five-year deliverable housing land supply.

3.29 The most recent Monitoring Report was published February 2021 and covers the period 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020. It is available on the council's website at www.oldham.gov.uk.

3.30 All documents listed above and others relating to the Local Plan can be found on the council's website at www.oldham.gov.uk.

4 Documents to be prepared as part of Oldham's Local Plan

4.1 This section provides further details regarding the documents that are to be prepared as part of Oldham's Local Plan.

Figure 3 - Proposed Oldham Local Plan Structure

Places for Everyone Joint Development Plan Document

4.2 Up until December 2020 a joint development plan document (DPD) of the ten Greater Manchester local authorities was being prepared - Greater Manchester’s Plan for Jobs, Homes & the Environment (known as the “GMSF”). The GMSF 2020 had reached the Regulation 19 (Publication) stage of the process. However, the withdrawal of Stockport Council from GMSF signalled its end as a joint plan for the ten Greater Manchester districts.

4.3 The nine remaining GM councils (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan), have agreed to form a joint committee to prepare Places for Everyone - a joint development plan document for jobs, new homes and sustainable growth across their boroughs.

4.4 The PfE Joint DPD is able to proceed to Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 ‘Publication stage’ rather than have to go back to an earlier (Regulation 18) informal stage of consultation as it is considered that the plan has “substantially the same effect” on the remaining authorities as the original joint DPD being prepared.

4.5 Once adopted, the PfE Joint DPD becomes part of the Local Plan for Oldham.

4.6 Whilst the PfE Joint DPD will be part of our Local Plan it is a high level, strategic plan and does not cover everything that a district local plan would. Local plans will continue to be important to take forward the strategic policies set out in PfE and interpret these at a more detailed local level to support the creation of locally distinctive high-quality places/neighbourhoods. The council is therefore keen to progress the Local Plan review so that more detailed ‘local’ policies are in place as soon as practicable to support implementation of PfE.

Oldham's Local Plan

4.7 The current joint Core Strategy and Development Management Development Plan Document was adopted in November 2011 and a review of Oldham's Local Plan is required for a number of reasons, in particular:

• To meet the requirements set out in the National Planning Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), particularly in relation to the need for local plans to be reviewed every five-years and then updated as appropriate.
• There are policies, particularly those in relation to housing and employment, that need to be updated in light of changes in market signals, local circumstances and priorities, and legislation, so as to provide a succinct and up-to-date plan in line with the requirements set out in the NPPF; and
• There will be a need to reflect the PfE Joint DPD and provide further direction and guidance at a local level.

4.8 The Local Plan will deal with matters at the local level setting out the spatial vision, strategic objectives and strategy for Oldham and cover planning policies and site allocations, where they provide additional policy direction for Oldham, in relation to (for example):

• Sustainable development;
• Housing;
• Economy and employment;
• Communities and health and well-being;
• Retail and town centres;
• Built environment, design and heritage;
• Natural environment;
• Green Infrastructure, open spaces, sport and recreation;
• Green Belt and Other Protected Open Land;
• Transport and accessibility;
• Infrastructure; and
• Climate change and flood risk.

4.9 Whilst the exact scope of the Local Plan review is dependent somewhat upon the PfE Joint DPD it may include the following:

• The spatial vision, strategic objectives and spatial strategy for Oldham;
• Locally specific strategic and development management policies where they provide additional policy direction for Oldham beyond that set out in the PfE Joint DPD;
• Designations and allocations for the use of land which may include, for example, housing; business and industry; mixed-use development; protected open land; safeguarded land; green infrastructure; retail leisure; open space, sports and recreation; community facilities, health and education; the natural, built and historic environment; flood risk; and transport routes and highway or other transport schemes; and
• Monitoring and implementation framework and delivery strategy.

4.10 The council went out to consultation with a Regulation 18 Notification in summer 2017. This informed the local community, stakeholders, and businesses of the council's intention to review the Local Plan and sought comments on what issues this should address.

4.11 Further details and the timetable for reviewing the Local Plan is set out in the Local Plan profile in section 5.

4.12 Upon adoption the new Oldham Local Plan and the PfE Joint DPD will replace the Joint Core Strategy and Development Management Policies DPD (adopted November 2011); the remaining saved policies of Oldham's Unitary Development Plan (adopted 14 July 2006); and the Proposals Map.

Neighbourhood Planning

4.13 Neighbourhood planning gives communities direct power to develop a shared vision for their neighbourhood and deliver the sustainable development they need.

• Neighbourhood Development Plans - general planning policies for the development and use of land in a neighbourhood;
• Neighbourhood Development Orders - can grant planning permission for specific types of development in a specific neighbourhood area; and
• Community Right to Build Orders - put together by local people who can decide on the type, quantity and design of buildings they want, and in the locations they want them.
• Neighbourhood planning allows communities to prepare:

4.14 Neighbourhood Plans must be in general conformity with the strategic policies of the Local Plan and be aligned with the strategic needs and priorities of the wider local area. Neighbourhoods should plan positively to support the Local Plan and should not promote less development than that set out in the plan or undermine its strategic policies. Once in place they become part of the Local Plan and the policies contained within them are then used in the determination of planning applications.

4.15 Currently there has been one neighbourhood area designated in Oldham - Saddleworth Neighbourhood Area. This covers the whole parish area. An application was also made to the Peak District National Park Authority which covers part of the Parish Council area. Saddleworth Parish Council has now begun to prepare a neighbourhood plan with advice and assistance from Oldham Council and the Peak District National Park Authority.

4.16 The key stages in the preparation of a neighbourhood plan are as follows:

• Step 1: Designate a neighbourhood area;
• Step 2: Preparing a draft neighbourhood plan or order;
• Step 3: Pre-submission publicity and consultation;
• Step 4: Submission of a neighbourhood plan or order proposals to the local planning authority. At this point the proposals are published for six weeks and representations are invited;
• Step 5: Independent examination;
• Step 6: Referendum; and
• Step 7: Making the neighbourhood plan or order (bringing it into force).

Proposed Master plans and Development Briefs

4.17 The council, from time to time, may produce a variety of master plans and development briefs covering different areas and topics within the borough, in response to the delivery of our regeneration aspirations and priorities. The timescale and content of these are subject to change and therefore none have been specifically identified within this LDS. Any master planning or work on development briefs which takes place will be picked up by, and monitored, through the authorities Monitoring Report, as appropriate.

5 Local Plan making process

Local Plan Making Process

5.1 The process for reviewing, preparing and adopting Local Plans is set out in the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended).

5.2 The key stages in reviewing and preparing the Local Plan are as follows:

• Preparation of a local plan - Regulation 18;
• Publication of the local plan - Regulation 19;
• Submission;
• Examination; and
• Adoption.

Preparation of a Local Plan

5.3 The Local Plan Regulations allow for considerable flexibility to local planning authorities regarding how to carry out the initial stages of local plan production, provided they comply with the requirements set out in Regulation 18 and the council's adopted SCI.

5.4 As part of the preparation of a Local Plan, the council must notify specific consultation bodies, along with general consultation bodies, local residents and persons carrying out business in the areas as appropriate, of the subject of the Local Plan being considered and invite them to comment on what the document should contain. In line with this the council carried out a Regulation 18 Notification  consultation from July to August 2017, setting out the council's intention to review and prepare a Local Plan.

5.5 Going forward, the council intend to consult at the following stages of preparing the Local Plan:

• Issues and Options; and
• Draft Plan.

5.6 Details of these consultation stages are set out in the Local Plan profile at section 5.

Publication and Submission

5.7 Following the plan preparation stage the council will prepare the document for publication, also known as the proposed submission stage under Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Plan) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended). This will be published by the council to allow people to view the plan. Once published there is a statutory six week period for representations to be made on issues of soundness and legal compliance.

5.8 The council may make, if necessary, 'minor amendments' to the Publication Plan following the consultation before submitting it, and relevant supporting documentation, to the Secretary of State for examination under Regulation 22 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Plan) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended).

Sustainability Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment

5.9 To assess the potential significant social, economic and environmental effects of a plan it must be subject to a Sustainability Appraisal (SA). The SA process also incorporates the requirements of the European Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive and the UK SEA Regulations. As part of the plan preparation process reasonable alternatives are appraised to ensure that the plan is the most appropriate option.

5.10 Appraisals are carried out at each stage of the plan preparation process, and the outcomes influence the content of the plan. Where appropriate, the SA may suggest measures to mitigate any potential adverse effects that are identified through the appraisal.

Habitat Regulation Assessment

5.11 Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora (the Habitats Directive) requires a Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA) to be undertaken to assess the impacts of a land-use plan against the conservation objectives of European Sites and to ascertain whether it would adversely affect the integrity of those sites.

5.12 The process of HRA involves an initial screening stage, followed by an Appropriate Assessment (AA) if proposals are likely to have a significant adverse impact on a European site. Where significant negative effects are identified, alternative options should be examined to avoid any potential damaging effects.

5.13 The council intends to prepare an Integrated Assessment to inform and support preparation of the Local Plan. This will combine the SA, SEA and HRA requirements with an Equalities Impact Assessment (EqIA) and Health Impact Assessment (HIA), ensuring the sustainability factors - environmental, social and economic, are considered in the round.

Examination and Adoption

5.14 Once the Local Plan, along with any representations submitted at the Publication stage and supporting documentation, has been submitted to the Secretary of State, it must be examined by an independent inspector before the council can adopt it.

5.15 The role of the Inspector is to consider whether the plan has been prepared in accordance with the Duty to Co-operate, legal and procedural requirements, and whether it is sound.

5.16 To examine whether the submitted document is legally compliant the Inspector will check that it has:

• Been prepared in accordance with the LDS and in compliance with the SCI and the Regulations;
• Been subject to SA and SEA;
• Had regard to national policy; and
• Had regard to any sustainable community strategy for the area.

5.17 The Inspector will also assess whether the plan has been prepared in accordance with the Duty to Co-operate and whether it is sound. A local planning authority should only submit a plan for examination which it considers to be 'sound' as set out at paragraph 35 of the NPPF:

a. Positively prepared - providing a strategy, which as a minimum, seeks to meet the area's objectively assessed needs; and is informed by agreements with other authorities, so that unmet need from neighbouring areas is accommodated where it is practical to do so and is consistent with achieving sustainable development;

b. Justified - an appropriate strategy, taking into account the reasonable alternatives, and based on proportionate evidence;

c. Effective - deliverable over the plan period, and based on effective joint working on cross-boundary strategic matters that have been dealt with rather than deferred, as evidenced by the statement of common ground; and

d. Consistent with national policy - enabling the delivery of sustainable development in accordance with the policies set out in the NPPF.

6 Profiles

6.1 This chapter sets out the subject matter and geographical area for the following documents, along with the timetables for their preparation:

• The Places for Everyone Joint Development Plan Document (PfE Joint DPD);
• Oldham's Local Plan; and
• Proposals Map

6.2 The main changes to this LDS and that published in September 2020 ('Issue 11') are as follows:

• References to Greater Manchester’s Plan for Homes, Jobs and the Environment (GMSF) have been replaced with Places for Everyone Joint Development Plan Document and the profile has been amended to reflect the most recent timetable; and
• The profiles for the Local Plan review and Proposals Map have been amended to reflect changes to the timetable.

6.3 Previous versions of the LDS can be found on the council's website at www.oldham.gov.uk.

6.4 The Local Plan timetable will be kept under review and the council will have regard to any timetable changes that may arise in the preparation of the GMSF as appropriate.

7 Monitoring and review

7.1 The council is required to monitor, on at least an annual basis, how:

• Effective its policies and proposals are in meeting its vision and strategy for the future development of the borough; as well as
• How it is performing against the timescales set out within its LDS.

7.2 This information is contained in the authorities monitoring report (AMR) which is published annually, normally in December.

7.3 The AMR will:

• Report progress on the timetable and milestones for the preparation of documents set out in this LDS, including the reasons why they are not being met;
• Report progress on the delivery of policies in the Local Plan. This will include progress on any relevant targets and highlight any unintended significant effects of the implementation of the policies on social, environmental and economic objectives. Where policies and targets are not being met, are not on track or are having unintended effects, reasons will be provided along with any appropriate actions to redress the matter. Policies may also need to change to reflect changes in national policy; and
• Include progress against housing targets, and an update of the housing trajectory to demonstrate how policies are delivering housing provision in the Borough.

7.4 As a result of monitoring the council will consider what changes, if any, need to be made and will bring forward such changes through the review of its LDS and Local Plan.

8 Duty to Co-operate and cross-boundary issues

8.1 The NPPF sets out a Duty to Co-operate on planning issues that cross administrative boundaries. This includes joint working on areas of common interest for the mutual benefit of neighbouring authorities. Local planning authorities should work collaboratively with other bodies to ensure that strategic priorities across local boundaries are properly co-ordinated and clearly reflected in individual Local Plans. Joint working should enable local planning authorities to work together to meet development requirements which cannot wholly be met within their own areas.

8.2 Local planning authorities will be expected to demonstrate evidence of having effectively co-operated to plan for issues with cross-boundary impacts when their Local Plans are submitted for examination. This could be by way of plans or policies prepared as part of a joint committee, a memorandum of understanding or a jointly prepared strategy which is presented as evidence of an agreed position. Co-operation should be a continuous process of engagement, from initial thinking through to implementation, resulting in a final position where plans are in place to provide the land and infrastructure necessary to support current and projected future levels of development.

8.3 The council will prepare all documents that form part of the Local Plan in accordance with the Government's Duty to Co-operate as appropriate through consultation with the local community, landowners, development interests, national and local agencies and infrastructure providers, as well as ensuring the our plan fits in with those of neighbouring authorities and the wider sub-region. Its implementation will depend on collaboration between those groups and funding from the public, private and voluntary sectors.

9 Risk assessment

9.1 Every effort will be made to ensure that the programme for the preparation of documents prepared as part of the Local Plan will be fulfilled. Nevertheless, there are clearly various risks which could potentially impact upon the ability to adhere to the timetable and it is important to identify these risks and consider how they may be minimised. Key risks associated with the preparation of the Local Plan and delivery of the LDS to timetable are identified below, together with an indication as to how they will be managed and minimised.

10 Glossary of terms

11 Appendix 1 - Saved UDP policies and schedule of local development documents

11.1 The following UDP policies remain unaffected with the adoption of the Joint DPD, GM Waste Plan or GM Minerals Plan and will continue to be 'saved' until they are replaced by the relevant part of the Local Plan or another development plan document as may be appropriate.