What you can influence

There are a few main ways you can influence them.

You can influence what is covered by policies and proposals

• Certain documents local authorities must include in their local development framework, such as the core strategy and proposals map, but otherwise they can choose what documents to prepare
  
  
• They must include this information in their local development scheme, reviewed annually
  
  
• They will not be able to produce anything not listed in their scheme

It is worth letting them know from the outset what you think should be included.

For example you could propose that there should be

• An area action plan, for instance to achieve conservation in a historic market town, including a proposal for positive management and enhancement
  
• Development control policies on particular topics, such as nature conservation, highways and transport, affordable housing or good design
  
• Policies to do with the allocation of sites, for example, which prioritise
  development on brownfield sites, promote urban regeneration and secure more affordable homes
  
• Supplementary planning documents, such as a local needs audit, parish map or guidance on sustainable design and construction

Influence what the policies and proposals say
Decide what you want the policies and proposals to say and put forward your own proposals.

Be prepared to back them up with

• Argument
• Evidence

Sustainability criteria
The framework should make a positive contribution to sustainable development.

Everything in the framework has to go through a sustainability appraisal, which should be fully integrated in the plan-making process and inform monitoring (reference: PPS 12, paragraphs 4.39 - 4.43).

Present your views about the evaluation criteria that will be used for this.

Conserving resources
Suggest ways of conserving natural resources in your area.

These ideas could be about the management of

• Energy
• Water
• Sustainable construction
• Minerals and materials that could make a difference to quarrying and transport

Encourage your local authority to take a conservation led approach by making the best use of historic buildings, ensuring new development enhances, rather than distracts from, your area's natural and built heritage.

For example

By reusing construction and demolition waste, this conserves resources, reduces the amount of waste needing to be disposed of, and can contribute to development that is sympathetic to traditional local styles and materials.

Have your say about housing policy.
Overall numbers of new housing are largely fixed by the regional spatial strategy, so the time to lobby about numbers is when the regional spatial strategy is being prepared.

However, it is the local development framework that sets out policies about where houses should be built and what they will look like.

You might have ideas about how houses should be designed, so that the development is in keeping with local character and uses local materials.

Or you could argue for policies in your area that would enable housing to be built in places that do not spoil the countryside.

You may be able to suggest suitable brownfield sites or empty buildings that should be brought back into use.

National planning policy requires local development framework options to be 'deliverable' -  it is worth raising this point with your local authority with regard to land allocations, policies and targets for housing and other kinds of development. (PPS 12 paragraph 4.44)