Why we need to update the Local Plan
A Local Plan is a document that sets out a plan for the future of an area.
It contains aspirations and ideas about how the local authority area should look and its purpose.
It contains policies that planning applications are assessed against. It covers everything from housing, open spaces, transport, design, digital connectivity, and many more.
Every policy has to be properly evidenced, and therefore many evidence base documents sit alongside a Local Plan.
This is because they have to go through a strict examination to be approved by an inspector (appointed by the Secretary of State), before a local authority can adopt it.
All local authorities are required to create a Local Plan and update them when necessary.
We adopted our current Local Plan in 2021.
During the examination, the inspector asked for the Council to undertake an immediate review of the Local Plan once adopted so that we could reflect national and regional policy changes, and identify sites suitable for new homes.
For that reason, an update is now required.
Timeline
The stages of a Local Plan
- Reviewing and collecting evidence - Current stage
- Draft Local Plan consultation (also called 'Regulation 18')
- Draft Local Plan consultation responses review
- Submission Local Plan consultation (also called 'Regulation 19')
- Submission to the Secretary of State
- Examination
- Inspector's report issued
- Adoption
The timeline for the Local Plan update
- Early 2024 - Regulation 18 consultation
- Winter 2024 - Regulation 19 consultation
- Spring 2025 - Submissions to the Secretary of State
These are indicative dates and subject to change.