Supporting documents for County Durham Plan scoping consultation

There are a number of additional supporting documents that you may wish to read as part of giving your feedback to the County Durham Plan scoping consultation (22 June - 17 August 2026).

Below is a full list of these documents with their relevant web links.

Existing County Durham Plan strategies, policies and assessments

• County Durham Economic Strategy (2022–2035) available at Inclusive Economic Strategy
• County Durham Landscape Character Assessment, County Durham Landscape Strategy available at Landscape, character, strategies and guidelines.
• County Durham Plan, adopted 2020, available at What is the County Durham Plan.
• Durham Heritage Coast and Coastal Management Plan available at Other strategies and projects.
• Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy (JLHWS) (2023–28) available at Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy
• Local Nature Recovery Strategy available at About our Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
• Minerals and Waste Policies and Allocations document (M&WDPD) available at County Durham Minerals and Waste Policies and Allocations Document.
• Open Space Needs Assessment (OSNA), Parking and Accessibility Supplementary Planning Document (2023) and all other Supplementary Planning Documents available at Development Plan support documents.
• Strategic Place Plans (SPPs) available at Economic Development.

National documents

• Current National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) available at National Planning Policy Framework.
• Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and other changes to the planning system (December 2025) which contains information regarding proposed reforms, including the draft National Planning Policy Framework and National Decision Making Policies (NDMPs) available at National Planning Policy Framework: proposed reforms and other changes to the planning system.
• Critical Minerals Strategy available at Vision 2025: Critical Minerals Strategy
• Levelling-up and Regeneration Act (2023) available at Levelling-up and Regeneration Act to 2023.
• National Planning Policy for Travellers Sites available at Planning policy for traveller sites.
• National Planning Policy for Waste (NPPW) available at National planning policy for waste.
• Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) available at Planning practice guidance.
• Resources and Waste Strategy (2018) available at Resource and Waste Strategy for England.

Third Party documents

• North Pennines Management Plan available at North Pennines National Landscape (AONB) Management Plan.