Document Library

The Local Plan Document Library provides you with a list of the documents and articles which you may find interesting and relevant.  It will be updated regularly.   

Darlington Specific Documents

• Darlington Five Year Housing Land Supply Position Statement (June 2020) [pdf] - sets out the five year housing land supply assessment for the period 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2025.
• Darlington Future Employment Needs Report (September 2017) [pdf] - In August 2017 Darlington Borough Council commissioned Oxford Economics to revise previously calculated economic forecasts for Darlington to support the development of our local plan.
• Darlington Green Infrastructure Strategy (2013 - 2026) - sets out the objectives and priority actions for landscape, biodiversity, movement, outdoor sport and recreation, production, climate change and management and maintenance. 
• Darlington Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment Update (2017) - identifies the need of accommodation for the Gypsy and Traveller Community in the Local Plan period 2016-2036.
• Darlington Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment (March 2018) [pdf] - is a technical study that determines the suitability, availability and achievability of land for development.
  • Appendix 5 - Summary of Assessment and Maps
  • Appendix 6 - Map 1 showing assessed HELAA sites and assessment results
  • Appendix 7 - Map 2 showing assessed HELAA sites and assessment results
  • The complete HELAA 2018 assessment for each site is available here:
    • Part 1 Site 01-65
    • Part 2 Site 66-163
    • Part 3 Site 172 - 390
• Darlington Landscape Character Assessment (2015) - presents a description and evaluation of the landscape of the Borough of Darlington.  It was prepared on behalf of Darlington Borough Council to provide part of the evidence base for forthcoming development planning documents.
• Darlington Playing Pitch and Sports Facility Strategy (June 2015) - sets out the vision for the provision of playing pitches and sports facilities in the next five years.
• Darlington Retail Study Update (2017) - sets out the viability and vitality of Darlington Town Centre and the projected need for retail space and uses in the Borough for the Local Plan 2016-2036.
• Darlington Town Centre Strategy 2019-2030 - a strategy to make Darlington a place people will want to continue visiting, shopping, working and living in for years to come.
• Darlington Viability Assessment Draft August 2020 - considers the viability implications of the Proposed Submission Local Plan August 2020.  The Council is required to undertake viability testing of its proposed policies and site allocations to ensure deliverability and to demonstrate that they are economically viable.
  • Appendix A - Residential Viability Testing
  • Appendix B - B1-B16 Results of Residential Viability Testing
  • Appendix C - Analysis of new house sales 2018 and 2019
  • Appendix D - BCIS Build cost data
  • Appendix E - S106 and M4 Tables and Calculations
  • Appendix F - Section 106 Payments Secured
  • Appendix G - Results of commercial viability testing
  • Appendix H - Costar ExportLeaseComps report
  • Appendix I - CoStar Industrial Leases 2 years - Comprehensive Report
  • Appendix J - Costar Industrial Lease Cops Table 2 yrs
  • Appendix K - CoStar Office Leases 2 years - Comprehensive Report
  • Appendix L - Costar Office Lease Cops Table 2 yrs
  • Appendix M - Costar Retail Lease Cops Table 2 yrs
  • Appendix N - Hotel
  • Appendix O - Lease Comps D2 Leisure
  • Appendix P - D2 Lease comps
  • Appendix Q - Lease comps B8
    • Appendix Qi - Morton Park
  • Appendix R - UK Industrial National Report
  • Appendix S - UK Office National Report
  • Appendix T - UK Retail National Report
• Landscape Sensitivity of Potential Housing Sites in Darlington Borough (July 2019) - presents the findings of a landscape sensitivity assessment, undertaken to inform decisions relating to a number of proposed housing and mixed use allocations within Darlington Borough.
• Local Green Space Designation Report (January 2020 Update) - introduces designations that would give local people the opportunity to protect green spaces.
• Habitat Regulations Appropriate Assessment: Screening Report (October 2019) - assesses the likely effects of the Draft Local Plan on protected habitats and species.
• Heritage Impact Assessment (September 2019) - considers the potential impacts of allocation sites on the historic environment and where necessary proposes appropriate measures to avoid and/or mitigate harm.
• Strategic Housing Market Assessment (2017) - calculates the need for both market housing and affordable housing, within the defined housing market area, and considers whether the household types, tenure and size in the current stock, and in recent supply, would meet future needs.
• Strategic Housing Market Assessment Part 2 (November 2015) - provides an assessment of the need for housing of specific types to meet particular needs.
• The Impact of Growth of Demand for Sports Facilities (March 2019) - provides a baseline evidence base on potential future requirements for sports facilities to support the planned level of housing growth across the Darlington area.

Regional Documents

• Connecting the Tees Valley (November 2016) - sets out the region’s transport priorities up to 2026 and explains how TVCA want to improve the Tees Valley’s local transport system. It also sets out the framework for the Strategic Transport Plan and invites stakeholders, interest groups and the public to help shape the final Tees Valley Strategic Transport Plan.
• Tees Valley Strategic Economic Plan 2016-2026 sets out the growth ambitions and priorities for the Tees Valley over the next ten years to 2026 and is now being refreshed to create an Industrial Strategy that includes all of the latest priorities to improve, diversity and accelerate growth in the local economy to benefit businesses and residents.

National Documents

National Planning Policy Framework (2019) - sets out the Government's planning policies for England and how these are expected to be applied.