About the Local Plan
The Local Plan process and what makes the Plan such an important document
Every planning authority must have an up to date Local Plan that covers a period of at least 15 years, that sets out what can be built and where building should take place.
Local Plans hold important policies to support environmental protection, jobs and the economy. They also help to decide where we need infrastructure for services such as roads, schools and health.
A Local Plan also covers:
- housing
- education provision
- transport infrastructure
- healthcare provision
- provision for leisure facilities
- open and green spaces
We have started the process of preparing a new Local Plan for Rutland, which will be informed by an updated evidence base that will:
- deliver the corporate strategy, vision and themes for the county
- provide sustainable growth to meet our assessed housing and employment needs, using and promoting sustainable transport wherever possible. These combine to contribute towards achieving the Government's 2050 net zero carbon emissions target
- protect and enhance the county's heritage, character and natural assets - including air quality, water resource management and biodiversity
- ensure timely delivery of all necessary infrastructure
The Local Plan process
The process of developing a Local Plan takes several years, and we are currently in the early stages of this process.
The Local Plan development process follows a series of distinct stages:
- Call for Sites
- Issues and Options
- Developing the Preferred Options Plan (Regulation 18)
- Finalising the Submission Draft Plan (Regulation 19)
- Submission to the Secretary of State for Independent Examination
- Main modifications - as recommended by the independent planning inspector
- Adoption and publication
Before submission to the Secretary of State, we will look at evidence gathered through:
- technical evidence
- viability work
- feedback from public consultations that take place at the Issues and Options, Regulation 18 and Regulation 19 stages
In the Local Plan section of our website, you can find out about the different stages of plan making and how you can get involved.
Indicative timescales
- Call for Sites – spring 2022
- Issues and Options – summer 2022
- Developing the Preferred Options Plan (Regulation 18) – autumn 2023
- Finalising the Submission Draft Plan (Regulation 19) – autumn 2024
- Submission to the Secretary of State for Independent Examination – January 2025
- Main modifications, as recommended by the independent planning inspector – to be advised
- Adoption and publication – to be advised
About the Local Plan - link - call for sites