Section 15: Purpose and content of development plan

15. Purpose and content of development plan (1) A development plan may be prepared for— (a) the purposes of— (i) providing a spatial framework for the coordination and implementation of national and local programmes and projects of development; (ii) co-ordinating programmes and proposals for development with the identification of resources needed to implement such programmes and proposals; (iii) providing policies and guidelines for the implementation of development control; or (b) such other purposes as may be prescribed. (2) A development plan shall include such of the following matters as the Minister, or other planning authority, may deem necessary— (a) a report on the principal physical, economic, environmental and social conditions, resources and facilities of the planning area; (b) the principal purposes for which land is used in the area; (c) the size, composition and distribution of the population of the area; (d) the communications and transport systems of the area; (e) a statement, explanation and justification of policies and proposals for the future sustainable development of the area; (f) identification of areas of land to be set aside for special planning and development measures, including any programmes of land re-adjustment; (g) maps, plans, diagrams, tables and other visual aids showing present and proposed future uses of land, buildings and other resources in the area; [Issue 1] P11 – 14 Revised Laws of Mauritius (h) such other matters as the Minister may direct or as may be prescribed. (3) A development plan may be supported by such background studies, reports and analyses of matters pertaining to the planning and development of the planning area, including references to such relevant policies of Government, international conventions and agreements relating to human settlements and the environment that have been adopted by Mauritius, local authority questionnaires and profiles pertaining to the planning area as are considered by the planning authority to be desirable to explain and justify the development plan. (4) Every development plan shall comply with any planning policy guidance issued by the Minister under section 13, which is relevant to the subject matter of that development plan. (5) A development plan shall be prepared, with due regard to— (a) national economic development plans and programmes; (b) the National Development Strategy. (6) In determining the degree of detail and the scope of the content of a development plan, the planning authority shall have regard to the importance of preparing the plan in a timely manner and with such content and in such form as is comprehensible to the persons and communities in the local planning area to which the plan will apply. (S. 15 came into operation on 15 September 2006.)