Planning Policy

The Hartlepool Local Plan including Appendices and Supplementary Notes, along with the Regional Spatial Strategy make up the development plan for Hartlepool. The planning policies and standards within them will be used to determine planning applications received by the Development Control Section. The plan is also intended to highlight areas where the Local Authority is seeking to encourage new development within the borough. The current Local Plan was adopted in April 2006. A schedule of those policies which the Secretary of State has agreed can be saved (as from the 13th April 2009) can be viewed on the downloads page.

However, because of changes to the planning system, in due course the Local Plan will be superseded by a new raft of documents called the Local Development Framework (LDF). It is intended that the new planning system will be more responsive and will involve more community involvement. A list of key publication dates for the documents that will comprise the LDF is contained within the Local Development Scheme (LDS). The 2010 version of the Statement of Community Involvement sets out how the Council will consult with the community and other stakeholders. The Council has also prepared a joint Community Strategy and Local Development Framework Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report. 

The key document within the LDF is the Local Plan. This document was Submitted to the Secretary of State on the 26th June 2012. Due to changes to the document as a result of the recent publication of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) an eight week consultation took place running until the 21st August 2012. The representations made to these suggested alterations will be considered by a Planning Inspector who will incorporate necessary changes into the Local Plan along with changes resulting from the Examination in Public which took place in Januart 2013. The examination is currently suspending pending further work requested by the Inspector. The final Submission Documents, along with other relevant pieces of evidence base which support the Local Plan can be accessed via this link.

Neighbourhood Planning has been introduced through the Localism Act and seeks to devolve certain planning powers to local communities to give them more say in how their area develops.

There are two Supplementary Planning Documents available for public consultation between Thursday 4th April and Thursday the 30th May 2013. They are the Green Infrastructure SPD and Action Plan and the New Dwellings outside of Development Limits SPD. A questionnaire has been set up on Survey Monkey in relation to the Green Infrastructure Documents if you would like to use this to comment then please follow this link

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HBCApr2013GreenInfrastructureSPD

Comments on these documents must be received by 5pm on the 30th May 2013. People may comment in writing to Planning Policy, Bryan Hanson House, Hanson Square, Hartlepool, TS24 7BT or by email to planningpolicy@hartlepool.gov.uk

The Local Infrastructure Plan which sets out the key infrastructure needs in relation to the delivery of developments within the Core Strategy was approved by Cabinet in January 2012.  

Hartlepool has recently been identified as part of the Tees Valley Enterprise Zone. For details on the areas covered by the Enterprise Zone please follow this link.

The adopted Transport Assessments and Travel Plans Supplementary Planning Document along with an accompanying Sustainability Appraisal and Appropriate Assessment has also been prepared. 

The five Tees Valley local authorities prepared Joint Minerals and Waste Development Plan Documents (DPDs) to set out planning policies and site allocations on minerals and waste developments until 2026. The Authority submitted the final draft DPD's in November and an Examination in Public was held in Februrary 2011. The Tees Valley authorities formally adopted this DPD on the 15th September 2011. For more details click here.

If you are interested in flooding and would like to see the flood map for the town please visit the Environment Agency website and type in your postcode.

HBC published its adopted Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) Report (and accompanying site maps and tables) on the 22nd March 2010.

The Government is currently looking for potential sites for new nuclear power stations and prospective developer EDF Energy has nominated Hartlepool as a location. During April and May 2009 the Department of Energy & Climate Change arranged a short public consultation exercise about the eleven sites nominated around the country. This was followed by a longer and broader consultation in the Autumn 2009 on the Government's Nuclear National Planning Policy. Hartlepool Borough Council submitted on 11 May 2009 its formal response to the Department of Energy & Climate Change agreeing that the nomination of a site for a new nuclear power station at Hartlepool merits further investigation by the Government in the its preparation of a draft Nuclear National Policy.

All other downloads related to the Planning Policy Section can be viewed at the downloads page.

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