Local Plan timetable
The timetable for the Local Plan is called the Local Development Scheme (LDS).
It sets out the important dates when decisions will be made and when documents will be published for the preparation of the Local Plan.
Update on local plan timetable
On 13 September 2022 we announced a pause to our current published local plan timetable.
This was to allow more time to complete further work ahead of publishing a draft Local Plan for consultation. This is a very important stage as the draft plan will offer people a chance to comment on the council's provisional choices of policies and site allocations to meet the needs of the area, including affordable homes, employment opportunities, schools, GPs, and transport, power and water supply infrastructure in the most sustainable locations.
Whilst this delay is unfortunate, it will have the benefit to residents, parish councils and other stakeholders of a more accessible and clearly justified draft plan consultation document. The council will have to make very difficult decisions at every stage to balance the competing needs and aspirations.
Revised timetable and key activity
Summer 2023
The consultation draft Local Plan will be published for consultation, with events held to explain the proposals and answer questions.
Autumn 2023 to Spring 2024
The council will consider all the comments and suggestions received in response to consultation, and use these to help it decide what changes should be made to form the plan it wants to adopt.
Summer 2024
The council will publish for consultation its proposed Local Plan (the one it wants to adopt).
Autumn 2024
The proposed Local Plan will be submitted for examination by an independent planning inspector along with all the comments received in that last round of consultation. The inspector will consider those comments, and use these to help decide whether the proposed plan is 'sound' and meets government and legal requirements, and can therefore be adopted, or whether it must be changed before it can be adopted.
Winter 2024
The independent inspector's examination continues until their formal decision letter as to whether the plan can be adopted.
October 2025
Subject to successfully passing independent examination, the Local Plan is formally adopted by the council and comes into force.
What is happening now
The Local Plan Team is currently reviewing and updating the previous provisional assessments of the potentially available development sites that were put forward by landowners and developers. The council received over 100 responses from parish councils, landowners and others on these potential sites, and these representations are continuing to help further refine and develop this work.
Once complete, the review of potentially available sites will be used to inform the decisions in later stages of the process, including the provisional allocations of sites for development to be included in the draft plan which will be consulted on in the Summer of 2023.
Local Development Scheme
The Local Development Scheme (LDS) (PDF) [584KB] is the timetable for the preparation of the Local Plan, highlighting key consultation events and other key stages. It was approved by the council's Cabinet on 7 July 2022. It is the sixteenth LDS produced by the council. It replaces the previous LDS, dated 20 October 2020.
An update to the Local Development Scheme (PDF) [71KB] was approved by the council's Cabinet on 20 October 2022.