A new system of development plans has been introduced by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. The County Council is now preparing a Minerals and Waste Development Framework (MWDF) which will replace the current Local Plan. Most of the policies of the present plan are automatically saved until September 2007. The County Council has requested a Direction from the Secretary of State to "save" some of the Local Plan policies until the MWDF has been adopted.