Replacement Local Development Plan - Overview

The planning system in Wales is plan led, which means that planning proposals including applications for change of use and appeals are assessed against national and local plan policy. National policy sets out requirements for Local Authorities and National Park Authorities to develop Local Development Plans (LDPs). The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires these LDPs to be monitored annually and reviewed every four years.

Currently planning proposals are assessed against Future Wales – The National Plan 2040 and Denbighshire County Council’s Adopted Local Development Plan 2006 to 2021.

Denbighshire is preparing a new LDP. A Review Report on the existing Adopted LDP recommended preparing a further LDP. The current Adopted LDP 2006 to 2021 continues to guide planning decisions until a replacement LDP is adopted. A timetable for delivering the forthcoming LDP has been agreed with Welsh Government and this is included in the Delivery Agreement.

Plan Preparation Stages Reached to Date

LDP 2006 to 2021 Review Report

Denbighshire County Council approved the Local Development Plan Review Report for submission to Welsh Government at the meeting on 5 December 2017. The Review Report provides an assessment of the performance of the current LDP and highlights the need for a replacement plan. 

Replacement Local Development Plan: Review report (PDF, 4.68MB)

Delivery Agreement

The Delivery Agreement, which will guide the production of a new Local Development Plan, was agreed by Welsh Government on 22 May 2018. 

Replacement Local Development Plan: Delivery agreement (PDF, 914KB)

A revised Delivery Agreement was agreed by Welsh Government on 12 December 2022.

Denbighshire Replacement Local Development Plan 2018 to 2033: Revised Delivery Agreement December 2022 (PDF, 792KB)

Candidate Sites Register

Submissions of sites from landowners, developers and the public were invited between 6 August and 26 November 2018. This resulted in 203 sites being submitted to the Council.  A further 36 candidate sites were submitted during the consultation stage of the draft Preferred Strategy for the replacement Local Development Plan 2018 to 2033.

The Candidate Sites Register contains individual site maps of the submitted sites. The individual maps are grouped to the nearest settlement and can be viewed on the candidate sites page.

Preferred Strategy (Pre-Deposit)

The high level strategy and key policies are contained within the Preferred Strategy. It sets out the preferred level of growth in terms of housing and employment and how that level of growth will be spatially distributed throughout Denbighshire. Key policies are designed to guide development and ensure that the social, economic and environmental needs of the county are met. 

The Preferred Strategy was open for public consultation between 8 July 2019 and 30 August 2019. The comments received were reviewed and a consultation report prepared with suggested amendments. The Preferred Strategy was approved by Council on 9 May 2023.

The Pre-Deposit documents and background evidence are available to view on the preferred strategy / pre-deposit page.

Deposit Stage

The Deposit Plan provides the detail of the strategy, policies and land allocations. It is the Plan that is to be read as a whole and should be sound and capable of being adopted as the LDP 2018 to 2033.

In order to be sound, its content has to be supported by evidence and be in accordance with current national policy. It must also demonstrate that any land that is allocated for development can be delivered by 2033, is financially viable and is supported by funded infrastructure.

The Deposit Plan is currently being developed and the evidence that has been sourced is available to view on the Deposit Stage page.