Chapter 4 - Monitoring and Review

Monitoring and Review

4.1 The Council is required to keep under review all matters that might be expected to affect the development, or future planning of development, of their area. Monitoring the performance or effectiveness of the UDP, in its adopted form, will be an important task of the Council.

4.2 The UDP has been prepared to be robust and flexible to be able to cope with changing circumstances over time. Nevertheless looking into the future is a difficult and uncertain business. It will inevitably be the case that future changes in circumstances, at present unforeseen, will necessitate a review of the Plan and the Policies and Proposals that it contains.

4.3 Planning Policy Guidance Note PPG12 – Development Plans indicates that the Council should examine and monitor: -

• The principal physical and economic characteristics of the area;
• The size, composition and distribution of population of the area, and,
• The communications, transport system and traffic of the area.

4.4 Other topic specific Planning Policy Guidance Notes, including PPG3 – Housing and PPG6 – Town Centres and Retail Development, provide further detailed guidance on the range of matters that should be examined and monitored on a regular basis.

4.5 In addition to the above, Regional Planning Guidance for the North West has mapped out a set of key monitoring indicators that will be employed in monitoring the effectiveness of RPG. This monitoring framework is in the process of being refined within the context of the Regional Sustainability Framework and the North West Development Agency’s Regional Strategy and the establishment of the Regional Intelligence Unit (RIU).

4.6 The Council, individually and collectively with the other Greater Manchester district authorities (through the Greater Manchester Policy Unit and Greater Manchester Research), will monitor and report at regular intervals upon the effectiveness of the adopted Plan within the local, sub-regional and regional planning context.