The County Council is responsible for the preparation of planning policy for minerals and waste development in Worcestershire.

The Local Development Scheme (LDS) is a public statement setting out the programme for the production of minerals and waste development plan documents by the County Council over the next three years.

All development plan documents prepared by the Council must be prepared in accordance with this timetable.

The Local Development Scheme (2022) (PDF) came into effect on 1 July 2022, setting out Worcestershire County Council’s priorities for producing planning policy documents over the three-year period July 2022 to June 2025, setting out progress made since the last iteration of the LDS, and the timetables for the adoption of the Minerals Local Plan, the development and examination of the Mineral Site Allocations Development Plan Document, and review/revision of the Waste Core Strategy (Waste Local Plan).

It  replaced the previous LDS dated September 2021.

The Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill which is currently progressing through Parliament is likely to lead to significant changes to the plan-making system. This may result in changes to the requirements and timetable for progressing the Mineral Site Allocations DPD and review of the Waste Core Strategy/Waste Local Plan.

An update to the LDS was due to be returned to Cabinet for approval in 2023. However, significant changes to the legislative and policy requirements for developing planning policy documents are also proposed through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, whose progress through Parliament has also taken longer than anticipated and has not yet received Royal Assent (as of August 2023). The timescales and requirements for preparing plans under the existing planning system or transitioning to the revised system are therefore not clear, and it is not possible to produce a meaningful update to the LDS at this stage. 

The Council will publish further updates on its website once there is greater clarity on the proposed changes and legislation. 

For further information, see a statement, published 8 September 2023, and accompanying “frequently asked questions”.