Local plans influence whether development is guided by a clear, informed plan, or whether decisions are made more reactively, giving developers greater freedom to shape places without oversight.
So, what is a local plan?
A local plan is a powerful tool that shapes and determines what the places we live in will look like in the future.
It sets out where new developments, including new homes, will go, where businesses can expand and which areas should be protected, whether for nature protection and enhancement or landscape and heritage. Local plans should be reviewed at least every five years and look forward 15 - 20 years.
Most importantly, local plans are democratic. They are formed through a public consultation process, giving local people, organisations and stakeholders multiple opportunities to have their say. This feedback will help determine the final sites identified for housing and employment, and the specific requirements for each site.
Why an up-to-date local plan matters
When there isn’t a local plan or it is out of date, consequences can ripple far beyond planning decisions - affecting communities, nature and the economy.
An up-to-date local plan reflects current needs, like housing and transport demands, rather than the needs of the past. Land allocated in this way will meet the housing need of an area in the right place, reducing unplanned, piecemeal developments
Local plans form the backbone of planning decisions. If a local authority refuses a development based on an out-of-date local plan, it’s much easier for developers to appeal the decision and win. Over time, this weakens local control and can lead to development in places communities didn’t expect or want, including areas important for wildlife. Without a local plan, control is in the hands of developers rather than the council and local people.
Planning isn’t just about housing. It’s about how infrastructure and services are developed alongside housing. All of this can be considered in the local plan process, reducing the risk of areas becoming overstretched.
Plans that are regularly revised can also take new risks into account, such as the projected impacts of climate change, avoiding allocating land that is at risk of flooding.
Not everyone will agree with the land that is allocated for housing and development through the local plan process, but at least everyone gets to have a say and influence how sites should be developed as part of that process. By the time a planning application for a site is submitted, it is often too late to make any substantial changes, and the quality and quantity of things like green space and space for nature can be much poorer. Without a local plan, even environmentally sensitive sites can be hard to defend as the case for their protection can also be out of date.
The importance of now
An up-to-date local plan reflects the most recent national policy, data, surveys and designations. This ensures that sites that matter now, and sites that could matter in the future (ie those identified as high opportunity sites in the Local Nature Recovery Strategy) are fully considered in allocating land for development.
Without this framework, development proposals often come forward in an ad hoc way, sometimes affecting land that forms part of the nature recovery network. This is much less likely to happen on sites identified in local plans and if it does, measures will be put in place to ensure that high-quality green and blue infrastructure to support nature is included.