15Adoption of unitary development plan by local planning authority
(1)After the expiry of the period given for making objections to a unitary development plan or, if such objections have been duly made during that period, after considering those objections, the local planning authority may, subject to the following provisions of this section and to sections 17 and 18, by resolution adopt the plan either as originally prepared or as modified to take account—
(a)of those objections;
(b)of any other objections made to the plan;
(c)of any other considerations which appear to the authority to be material.
(2)A unitary development plan shall not be adopted unless Part II of the plan is in general conformity with Part I.
(3)Where an objection to a unitary development plan has been made by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the local planning authority do not propose to modify the plan to take account of the objection, the authority—
(a)shall send the Secretary of State particulars of the objection and a statement of their reasons for not modifying the plan to take account of it; and
(b)shall not adopt the plan unless the Secretary of State authorises them to do so.
(4)Subject to the following provisions of this Chapter and to section 287, a unitary development plan shall become operative on the date on which it is adopted.