Thurrock's development plan
The development plan sets out our policies and proposals for future development and land use in Thurrock. It is used to decide planning applications.
The development plan can be a single plan or a number of planning documents, including a Local Plan, Waste and Minerals Plans, and Neighbourhood Plans.
The current development plan for Thurrock covers the entire borough and is made up of:
- the Core Strategy Local Plan
- saved policies in the Borough Local Plan
- the saved Essex Minerals Local Plan adopted first review – go to Minerals and Waste
We have also published a Design Strategy, which isn't part of the development plan but is a material consideration when deciding planning applications.
National policy
All development plans are guided by the following national planning documents:
- GOV.UK: National planning policy framework
- GOV.UK: National planning policy for waste
- GOV.UK: Planning policy for traveller sites
- GOV.UK: Planning practice guidance
These may also be material considerations when deciding planning applications, alongside the policies within Thurrock's development plan.
Thurrock's new Local Plan
We are currently preparing a new Local Plan for the borough. This will replace the relevant policies in the current Core Strategy Local Plan and Borough Local Plan.
The new Local Plan will set out the amount of development for Thurrock, and where it will be, up to 2040. It will be a comprehensive long-term planning framework for growth, infrastructure, conservation and enhancement of the environment.
Policies within the current Core Strategy Local Plan and Borough Local Plan will continue to be used in decision making until the new Local Plan for Thurrock is adopted. As work on the new plan progresses, however, emerging policies could start to influence decisions on planning applications.