- The Local Plan and the Spatial Strategy
- Planning policies to guide development
- Sites for development
- Chapter 1: A Spatial Strategy for Watford
- Chapter 2: Core Development Area
- Chapter 3: Homes for a Growing Community
- Chapter 4: A Strong Economy
- Chapter 5: A Vibrant Town
- Chapter 6: An Attractive Town
- Chapter 7: The Historic Environment
- Chapter 8: A Climate Emergency
- Chapter 9: Conserving and Enhancing the Environment
- Chapter 10: Infrastructure
- Chapter 11: A Sustainable Travel Town
- Chapter 12: A Healthy Community
- Chapter 13: Site Allocations and New Development
- Appendices
Watford Final Draft Local Plan 2018-2036
How to use this document
The Local Plan covers a wide range of complex and inter-related issues that need to be considered when new development is proposed to ensure change can be managed to deliver benefits for the community. The Plan sets out planning policies to guide planning decisions, identifies strategic areas for growth. Strategic policies are indicated in the policy titles, any policies that are not specified as strategic are local policies. Each policy issue has been assigned an icon. Where icons are shown at the top of a policy box, this broadly indicates that there are shared policy considerations.
Section of Local Plan |
Purpose of the section |
The Local Plan and the Spatial StrategyIntroduces the Local Plan and sets out the objectives to be achieved when development comes forward. |
|
Chapter 1: A Spatial Strategy for Watford |
Introduces the Local Plan and provides an overview of key planning themes through the document. Sets out the approach to growth and the principles behind the Core Development Area. Proposals for new development are to accord with the respective strategic development area policy and with the strategic and local planning policies elsewhere in the Local Plan. |
Chapter 2: Core Development Area |
Sets out the principles for development in the Core Development Area and locally specific opportunities and constraints in the Strategic Development Areas. |
Planning policies to guide developmentProposals for new development are to accord with strategic and local planning policies across different chapters in the Local Plan. |
|
Chapter 3: Homes for a Growing Community |
Provides a framework to deliver the housing needed in the borough, including types and sizes of homes for people with different needs from single people, to families, to those with disabilities. |
Chapter 4: A Strong Economy |
Provides a structure to support economic growth and enable an economy that can adapt to changing economic conditions. |
Chapter 5: A Vibrant Town |
A framework to retain Watford town centre as the focus for retail, leisure, entertainment and cultural activities with flexibility to adapt to changing economic conditions. This will be supported by a network of sustainable local centres. |
Chapter 6: An Attractive Town |
This section sets out the design standards new development will be expected to achieve in order gain planning permission. |
Chapter 7: The Historic Environment |
Sets out the key principles to protect Watford's heritage and what proposals will need to consider if they affect a heritage asset, such as a listed building or conservation area. |
Chapter 8: A Climate Emergency |
Sets out requirements that new buildings need to achieve to reduce carbon emissions and contribute towards the borough becoming carbon neutral, while mitigating impacts associated with climate change, such as living environments, building quality and flood risk. |
Chapter 9: Conserving and Enhancing the Environment |
Policies to manage and improve the outdoor environment for people and wildlife, enhance biodiversity and manage impacts on the environment when new development comes forward. |
Chapter 10: Infrastructure |
Provides the framework for delivery of the infrastructure needed to support new development. |
Chapter 11: A Sustainable Travel Town |
Sets out an approach to enable better mobility and access to services and facilities, a more balanced reliance on different modes of transport and to encourage a shift towards greater use of public transport, walking and cycling. |
Chapter 12: A Healthy Community |
The role of promoting good health in the built environment is increasingly recognised and this chapter discusses the key threads that run through the Plan. |
Sites for developmentProposals for new development are to accord with strategic and local planning policies across different chapters in the Local Plan. |
|
Chapter 13: Site Allocations and New Development |
Identifies land suitable for new development and the types of land uses that would be acceptable, along with site-specific issues that should be considered by applicants. |
The information used to support the policies and site allocations is set out in the Council's evidence base which includes a diverse range of topic areas exploring local and strategic issues.