Purpose

A key legal requirement for Local
Planning Authorities is to maintain an up-to-date adopted Local
Development Scheme (LDS). The current LDS was adopted in March 2025
by delegated decision of the Cabinet Member for Planning and
Economic Development. It is published to the website and can be
viewed from this link:
Local Development Scheme | Crawley GOV.

However, this document requires some factual updates and minor
amendments in order to reflect the current position.
The February 2026 LDS updates the timetable for the preparation,
consultation and adoption of the Supplementary Planning Documents
(SPD) to reflect the recent government announcement that these must
be adopted by 30 June 2026.

Content

To make factual updates to the LDS to update
the SPDs to reflect the new adopted Local Plan 2024 before the
government deadline and ensure they carry the greatest weight in
Development Management decision making.

Alternative options considered

Option 1 - not to update the LDS and not
update the 2016 SPDs ahead of the government deadline.

Option 2 - to make factual updates to the LDS to update the SPDs to
reflect the new adopted Local Plan 2024 before the government
deadline and ensure they carry the greatest weight in Development
Management decision making (Chosen Option).

Option 1 was discounted as the weight of the 2016 SPDs is limited
in development management decisions and the newly adopted Local
Plan policies are not reflected in them. The council is legally
required to maintain an up-to-date Local Development
Scheme.