Launch of the New Plymouth Local Plan
Preparing a New Local Plan
Local Plans are required under national planning legislation and policy to guide sustainable development, set out how land is used in their area, and ensure that future growth meets the needs of communities, businesses and the environment. Preparing a new Local Plan involves gathering evidence, engaging with stakeholders and the public, and considering options before finalising the plan and its policies that will be independently examined. The government have introduced new plan making regulations for Councils to prepare their local plan in 30 months.
As part of this process, the Council has formally published a Notice of Intention to Commence Local Plan Preparation, alongside a Local Plan Timetable. These documents set out the key milestones in preparing the Plan. These are available to view on the Council’s website using the following link www.plymouth.gov.uk/local-plan.
Notice of Scoping Consultation
An early-stage scoping consultation will run from 2 July to 11.59pm on 31 July 2026. This consultation is an opportunity for residents, businesses, organisations, and other stakeholders to help shape the direction of the Local Plan at an early stage. We are particularly interested in views on key issues, priorities, and how people would like to be kept informed and engaged as work progresses.
Details of how to take part in the consultation and the formal notice of scoping consultation will be available on the Council’s website from 2 July at www.plymouth.gov.uk/local-plan.
Two further consultation stages will take place in 2027 and 2028 where there will be opportunities to help further shape the local plan as it is developed. This will include the proposed content of the local plan (including draft policies and potential site options) and its evidence, and the completed draft local plan before it is finalised and submitted to the Government for its examination. It is expected the new local plan will be adopted in spring 2029.
Call for Sites
We will be re-opening our Call for Sites on the 2 July to understand what land will be available for development in the future throughout the city. Sites submitted will aid our consideration of potential housing and economic land use allocations in the Local Plan
Sites submitted to us last year do not need to be resubmitted unless anything has changed. To submit a site for consideration, please visit https://cfs.plymouth-swdevon.urbanintelligence.co.uk/events.
A Call for Sites is a mechanism by which people or organisations with land interest (e.g. landowners, developers, agents) are able to let us know of sites that they would like to be considered in the plan for future development. We will then assess these sites and consider their suitability, availability and achievability in an evidence base report called a Land Availability Assessment (LAA).
Not all sites submitted will be considered appropriate to allocate for development, but it is an important part of the planning process that everyone has a fair opportunity to put forward sites for consideration. The LAA and other evidence base reports will be published during the plan preparation process.