Plan-Making Consultation

The CLA has responded to a Government consultation on proposed changes to how local plans (and minerals and waste plans) are prepared and sets out a direction of travel for how the Government propose to re-shape the plan-making system in accordance with the legislative changes set out within the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill. The consultation proposes to ensure Local Planning Authorities have single local plans rather than multiple documents that are more accessible and prepared within a 30-month timeframe. It also proposes new ‘gateway assessments’ and supplementary plans as well as a pilot of community land auctions. The consultation does not focus on encouraging any particular form of development but is focused on the process of preparing and examining local plans that will then form the policy basis for which planning applications are assessed. The current process for preparing local plans takes on average 7 years with many becoming out of date quickly, only 35% of Local Planning Authorities have adopted a Local Plan in the past 5 years. The CLA’s response to this consultation and call for evidence was informed by discussions with members on our Business and Rural Economy Committee.