Local Plan Review

Between Thursday 3^rd July to Thursday 28^th August 2025, we asked for your viewed on the Regulation 18 Proposed Housing and Mixed-Use Site Allocations and supporting Sustainability Appraisal and Habitats Regulation Assessment.

We are currently reviewing and processing representations received. All comments are being considered as the Local Plan evolves and any changes will be reflected in the next iteration of the Local Plan. 

Consultation Documents

• Consultation Portal
• Policies Maps
• Regulation 18 - Proposed Housing and Mixed-Use Site Allocations 
• Sustainability Appraisal Report Addendum - July 2025 
• Habitats Regulation Assessment - July 2025

You can view an online presentation about the consultation below:

• Local Plan Online Engagement Event Presentation Slides

Between Thursday 29th February and Thursday 25th April 2024, we asked for your views on the Regulation 18 draft version of the Local Plan. 

Regulation 18 Draft Local Plan

We also published a Interim Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report and Habitat Regulation Assessment. 

There was a good response to the consultation, with over 2,000 comments. You can view the comments via the Consultation Portal

The Council would like to thank everyone that has taken time to read the Draft Local Plan and provided comments. All comments are being considered as the Local Plan evolves and any changes will be reflected in the next iteration of the Local Plan. 

Statement of Consultation 

Appendix: Summary of Responses and Officer Responses

Consultation Documents

• Consultation Portal
• Interactive Local Plan Policies Maps
• Regulation 18 - Draft Local Plan (Downloadable PDF)
• Summary of Proposed Changes document 
• Easy Read Guide to the Draft Local Plan 

Biodiversity Opportunity Areas and Green Infrastructure Areas

• Interactive Policies Map
• Appendix 1 - Principles for Development within Biodiversity Opportunity Areas
• Appendix 2 - Principles for Development within Green Infrastructure Areas 

We carried out a Call for Sites seeking information on potential sites that can deliver any provision for Gypsy, Traveller, and Travelling Showpeople Communities. Including 

•    New sites;

•    Extensions to existing sites; and

•    New pitches on existing sites.

As part of our duty to identify enough housing land for everyone in the district we asked individuals, landowners, and developers to suggest local sites which may be available and suitable for pitches.

Submissions of potential sites were made between 29th February and 25th April 2024. 

All sites submitted to us will be carefully assessed and considered at the next stage of the Local Plan review. This will include an appraisal of any sites that meet the minimum criteria and will identify whether or not any of the sites should be considered as a site allocation in the Local Plan.

The first stage of public consultation on the new Local Plan

From Monday 12th October 2020 to Monday 23rd November 2020 the Council held an Issues and Options consultation to inform the review of the Local Plan. This was the first opportunity for the local community to become involved in the preparation of the Local Plan review.

The Issues and Options was a statement of intention as to what planning policies may need to be reviewed or updated. The consultation asked a series of questions to help the Council determine the scope and content of the Local Plan review. The Issues and Options document can be found below

Issues and Options Document

Sustainability Appraisal Report

Outcomes of the Issues and Options consultation

The Issues and Options consultation proved to be successful in generating interest and gathering views to underpin the next steps of the review of the Local Plan. As a result of the consultation over 1600 responses were received from 124 respondents.

Consultation Statement

Appendix 1 - Full Representations

Appendix 2 - Representations and Officer Responses

This stage in the Local Plan process is to identify what land is available for potential development within the district.

Submissions of potential sites were made between October 2020 and September 2022.

The Council is not accepting any further sites at present.