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  7. Guide to planning policy documents

Guide to planning policy documents

We determine planning applications using the statutory Development Plan. This is unless material considerations show otherwise. Our development plan comprises:

  • the adopted Local Plan:strategy and sites (2019)
  • the extant policies in the Local Plan 2003
  • any relevant neighbourhood plans

We also use guidance in supplementary planning documents. These do not form part of the development plan.

We have produced a planning policy note to explain the role of different documents. The note covers the following topics:

  • Comparison between Development Plan Documents (DPD) and Supplemetary Planning Documents (SPD)
  • The weight given to Neighbourhood Plans
  • The status of policies contained within the 2003 Guildford Local plan

You can view the icon Guide to planning policy documents [128.23KB] here. We hope this document is helpful, but know this is a complicated subject. If you would like more help understandng it, please get in touch by email to planningpolicy@guildford.gov.uk