RESIDENTS and organisations with an interest in the way the Uttlesford district will be developed in future years are being invited to take part in a planning consultation.

Planning authorities, including Uttlesford District Council, are responsible for producing a Local Development Framework (LDF) – a plan which sets out how the district will be developed in the coming years.

As part of this work, the council needs to carry out a sustainability appraisal of its LDF. This appraisal is to make sure that the plans and policies that make up the LDF help to ensure any future development will not have a detrimental impact on future generations.

The appraisal will identify key social, economic and environmental issues in the district and examine how the LDF will influence them.

The first stage of creating the sustainability appraisal is to produce a scoping report. Although the council first produced one in 2006, a new version has now been written which takes into account up-to-date data.

Residents, community groups and other interested organisations are now welcome to comment on this draft scoping report.

Anyone who wishes to have their say can find all the information on the council’s website at uttlesford.gov.uk/sustainabilityappraisal. People without access to the internet can visit the council offices in Saffron Walden to view the documents. Call the Planning Strategy team on 01799 510454 for more information.

The closing date for comments is Friday September 23.