The West Yorkshire Mass Transit Spatial Development Framework Joint Committee met on Wednesday 22 July 2026 to discuss the reconstitution of the committee and governance arrangements, and to consider the Spatial Development Framework (SDF) Joint Development Plan Document (JDPD) Regulation 19 Consultation report.

Reconstituting the Committee and Governance Arrangements

The meeting was scheduled to address the formal establishment of the West Yorkshire Mass Transit Spatial Development Framework Joint Committee and to reaffirm its governance arrangements. This followed the May 2026 local elections, necessitating the re-establishment of committee membership for new members. The report indicated that three of the five West Yorkshire councils had appointed regular and substitute members, with Bradford yet to appoint a substitute. It was also noted that the Council of the Borough of Kirklees had not yet nominated members due to not having formed an Executive. The committee was asked to nominate and appoint a Chair and Deputy Chair, and to reappoint the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) as the lead authority, acknowledging its role as the Mass Transit Scheme promoter. The Mayor of West Yorkshire, Mayor Tracy Brabin, was also to be co-opted in a non-voting capacity, as had occurred in January 2026. The meeting was to consider the committee's Terms of Reference and Deed of Agreement, which outline the meeting procedures, quorum (three voting members), and voting arrangements, where each substantive and substitute member holds one vote, and the Mayor is a non-voting member.

West Yorkshire Mass Transit: Spatial Development Framework (SDF) Joint Development Plan Document (JDPD) Regulation 19 Consultation Report

A key item on the agenda was the West Yorkshire Mass Transit Spatial Development Framework (SDF) Joint Development Plan Document (JDPD) Regulation 19 Consultation report. This report was prepared by Martin Elliot, Head of Strategic Planning at Leeds City Council. The SDF is being prepared as a JDPD by the five West Yorkshire Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) under Section 28 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, with support from the WYCA. The SDF aims to provide a statutory spatial planning framework to support the delivery of current and future phases of Mass Transit, align land use, growth, regeneration, and infrastructure investment, and de-risk the business case and future consenting processes. Once adopted, the SDF will form part of the statutory development plan for each LPA, carrying full development plan weight alongside adopted Local Plans.

The report detailed the progress following the January 2026 meeting, where members had approved the content of the Draft Regulation 18 consultation document and its issuance for consultation. This Regulation 18 consultation, held between 29 January and 12 March 2026, sought views on the scope and content of the draft JDPD from the public, businesses, community groups, charitable organisations, statutory bodies, and other stakeholders. A Consultation Outcomes Report, available in Appendix 1, reflected key messages from this consultation, including broad support for the principle and purpose of the SDF, integrated transport and land-use planning, and transit-oriented development principles. No representations challenged the legitimacy of progressing the Framework. However, the consultation highlighted a need for greater clarity on the relationship to Local Plan reviews, the delivery and safeguarding role of the SDF, and what the SDF does and does not do.

Following the Regulation 18 consultation, district local planning officers and WYCA technical leads developed SDF policies for the Regulation 19 consultation. This is the final stage of formal public consultation, inviting comments on the 'soundness' of the plan. The report outlined the subsequent steps, which include a Full Council decision to submit the JDPD to the Planning Inspectorate for Examination (scheduled for December 2026) and a Full Council decision to adopt the final plan following any required modifications or consultations in response to the Inspector's report (expected in Spring 2027). It was noted that at the submission stage, the JDPD would require separate approval from each District's full council, but once found sound by an Inspector, each individual council could decide whether to adopt it independently. The committee was asked to approve the SDF JDPD Regulation 19 Consultation report for issuance, and to delegate further non-material changes to an appropriate Chief Planning Officer in consultation with the Chair of the Joint Committee. It was also recommended that each constituent authority undertake any further necessary constitutional requirements, such as referral for scrutiny, in line with clause 3.4 of the Joint Member Committee's terms of reference. Several appendices were provided, including the Regulation 18 Consultation Outcomes Report, the Regulation 19 Consultation Report, Integrated Habitat Assessments, Equality Impact Assessment, Sustainability Appraisals, and a Viability Statement.