How new local plans work
Local plans have often been complex and taken a long time to prepare. On average, they have taken 7 years from start to finish.
The new system aims to reduce this to 30 months. It also introduces steps to simplify the process, including National Development Management Policies and a simpler approach to preparing plans, what they must contain, and when you can get involved.
There are 3 phases:
- pre-commencement stage
- formal plan-making stage
- submission and examination stage
Pre-commencement stage
We are at the pre-commencement stage.
At this stage, we are gathering evidence, preparing a project plan and other key documents to keep the plan on track and meet statutory timescales.
After we publish the timetable and the ‘notice of intention to prepare a local plan’, we must wait at least 4 months before publishing the Gateway 1 self-assessment.
During this time, we must carry out a formal consultation. This is a scoping consultation. We ask for views on what the local plan should contain and how people want to take part.
The consultation will run for 4 weeks.
Formal plan-making stage
The formal plan-making stage starts when we publish the Gateway 1 self-assessment.
This is a summary of how ready we are to prepare the new local plan.
The Gateway 1 self-assessment must include details about readiness:
- project management and governance arrangements
- the timetable for the preparation of the plan
- how we plan to consult and engage with our stakeholders and the wider community
- set out the anticipated local plan content
- environmental assessments
We must publish it at least 4 months after the ‘notice of intention to commence’ (NIC) and after the scoping consultation has ended.
After we publish the Gateway 1 self-assessment, we will publish a summary of the comments received during the scoping consultation and our responses.
We will then carry out another consultation on the proposed content of the local plan and supporting evidence. This consultation will run for 6 weeks.
Before we submit the Gateway 2 assessment to the Planning Inspectorate, we will publish a proposed policy map. This will show areas of land with different designations, for example:
- areas at risk of flooding
- habitat sites
- Sites of Special Scientific Interest
- Green Belt land
- heritage assets
This will be an interactive map. You should treat it as a ‘working map’ that will change as the local plan progresses. It will have little weight in planning decisions. It may show where development could happen, but it does not allocate land.
If we receive a positive outcome from the Gateway 2 assessment, we will consult on the draft local plan.
This consultation will run for 8 weeks. This will be the final version we plan to submit for examination.
If a Spatial Development Strategy is available, we must check that the draft local plan is consistent with it. Before the third gateway check, we will publish summaries of consultation responses on the draft local plan. The Planning Inspectorate will then carry out the Gateway 3 assessment. It will decide whether the local plan can progress to submission.
Submission and examination stage
Submission and examination start at this stage and should take no more than 5 months.
During this time, there will be examination hearings. The inspector will publish a report.
In the final month, we will adopt the new local plan. At this point, it will have full weight in planning decisions and replace the current Local Development Framework documents.