Local Plan

Planning applications are currently decided upon primarily by using the policies of the:

• Core Strategy (Adopted January 2012);
• Revised Unitary Development Plan (UDP) (Adopted June 2006);
• Greater Manchester Joint Waste Plan (Adopted April 2012);
• Greater Manchester Joint Minerals Plan (Adopted April 2013);
• Altrincham Town Centre Neighbourhood Business Plan (Adopted November 2017); and
• The Civic Quarter Area Action Plan (Adopted January 2023).

The Core Strategy and Revised UDP are gradually being replaced by the Trafford Local Plan with the emerging Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) providing the overarching framework. However, until such time as the Core Strategy and Revised UDP policies are fully replaced, after the adoption of the Local Plan, the relevant policies will still be used to determine planning applications.

A report to the Planning and Development Management Committee in April 2019, provided an update on the compliance of the local plan policies with the revised National Planning Policy Framework (February 2019). The document below provides a review of each of the local development plan policies against the revised NPPF, indicating the level of weight to be applied to the policies:

Review of Local Development Plan Policies (April 2019)  

Find out more about current consultations on Local Plan documents.

Local Plan documents

Adopted documents

• Trafford Local Plan: Core Strategy sets out an overarching strategy and development principles for Trafford to guide development until at least 2026. It was adopted on 26 January 2012.
• Revised Unitary Development Plan has mostly been superseded by the Core Strategy and the rest of the UDP policies will be replaced by the Trafford Local Plan. It was adopted in June 2006.
• Composite Policies Map shows where sites have been allocated for specific uses, for example residential or employment uses and where certain area-specific policies may apply, such as Green Belt.
• Supplementary Planning Documents provide additional information to assist with the interpretation and implementation of policies set out within the Core Strategy and the saved policies of the Revised UDP.
• Supplementary Planning Guidance provide more details about Policies within the UDP.
• Neighbourhood Plans also form part of the Local Plan. Currently this includes Altrincham Town Centre Neighbourhood Business Plan (Adopted November 2017)
• Greater Manchester Joint Waste Plan is concerned with the scale, location and type of facilities required up to 2027, to manage all types of waste in Greater Manchester, including a suite of development management policies. It was adopted on 1 April 2012.
• Greater Manchester Joint Minerals Plan provides a sound, sub-regional, planning policy framework that provides a clear guide to minerals operators and the public about: the locations where mineral extraction may take place; the safeguarding of sensitive environmental features and of mineral resources with potential for future extraction; and all aspects of environmental and resource protection including the sustainable transportation of minerals. It was adopted on 26 April 2013.
• Trafford Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a financial levy that has been set on developments to provide for essential infrastructure to support planned growth. The Council approved the Trafford CIL on 26 March 2014, which came into effect on 7 July 2014.
• Civic Quarter Area Action Plan (CQAAP) is a development plan document for the Civic Quarter. The CQAAP aims to deliver a substantially regenerated neighbourhood in this part of north Trafford. It was adopted on 25 January 2023.

In progress

• The new Trafford Local Plan: Preparation of a new Local Plan is underway. Trafford Council recently published a public consultation on the Regulation 18 Draft Local Plan which is now closed. Details can be found on the New Local Plan page.
• Places for Everyone Plan:  A sub-regional plan will set the strategic policy context for the Trafford Local Plan, establishing the Greater Manchester spatial strategy and setting employment and housing land requirements. The sub-regional plan will also identify strategic housing / employment allocations and set out any associated changes to the Green Belt boundary.