What Is a Local Plan?
Every local planning authority prepares a Local Plan that guides future development within its area. The Local Plan is the primary planning document used to determine where new housing, employment development, infrastructure and other forms of growth should be located over a defined period, often spanning 15 to 20 years. It establishes the planning policies that will be used when assessing planning applications and identifies which sites may be suitable for future development.
As Local Plans are regularly reviewed and updated, opportunities can arise for previously unallocated land to be considered for future development. This is why many landowners choose to actively promote their land through the Local Plan process, ensuring that their site is assessed alongside other potential development opportunities within the authority's area.
The document identifies:
It is the primary document used to determine where development should take place.
Local Plans play a crucial role in shaping the future of towns, villages and rural areas. They assess development needs, allocate land for growth and seek to ensure that future development is delivered in a sustainable manner. For landowners, the Local Plan process can be particularly important because sites identified for allocation or recognised as suitable for future development can experience a significant increase in development potential and value.
Councils then assess:
Only a proportion of submitted sites are ultimately selected by the council and formally allocated for development through the Local Plan process.
How Sites Become Allocated
The process typically begins with a Call for Sites exercise.
Landowners, promoters and developers submit sites for consideration by the local planning authority. The council then undertakes a detailed assessment of each site, considering factors such as sustainability, access, environmental constraints, infrastructure capacity, flood risk, landscape impact and the site's ability to deliver development within the plan period.
As the Local Plan progresses, the council compares submitted sites against its housing, employment and infrastructure requirements. A number of sites may be shortlisted and consulted upon before further technical work is undertaken. Following this process, the council selects those sites it considers most appropriate to help meet future development needs.
Only a proportion of submitted sites ultimately become chosen (formally known as "allocated") for development within the adopted Local Plan. Sites that are allocated generally have a significantly stronger prospect of securing planning permission in the future, which can substantially increase their value. For this reason, it is important that landowners present their land in the strongest possible way, supported by robust planning, technical and promotional evidence where appropriate.
Why Allocation Is Important
Allocation within a Local Plan is often one of the most significant milestones in the planning process because it indicates that a local planning authority has identified a site as being suitable for future development. Whilst allocation does not automatically grant planning permission, it can provide a strong policy foundation that supports future planning applications and demonstrates that the principle of development has been accepted through the plan-making process.
For landowners, allocation can substantially enhance a site's development prospects and market attractiveness. Developers and housebuilders often place considerable weight on allocated sites because they have already been assessed against a range of planning considerations, including sustainability, availability and achievability. As a result, allocated land can attract increased market interest and may command a significantly higher value than land that has not been identified within the Local Plan.
Allocation can also provide greater certainty regarding the future direction of growth within an area. Whilst planning permission will still be required in most cases, being included within a Local Plan often represents a major step towards unlocking development potential and maximising the value of a site.
Greater Planning Certainty
Planning applications on allocated sites often receive stronger support from the local planning authority.
Increased Market Interest
Developers and housebuilders frequently prioritise allocated sites due to their stronger planning prospects and greater certainty of delivery.
Enhanced Land Value
Allocation can significantly increase a site's development potential and, in turn, substantially enhance its value.
The Typical Stages of a Local Plan
Site Submission
The Local Plan process often begins with a Call for Sites exercise, during which landowners, developers and land promoters are invited to submit land that they believe may be suitable for future development. This provides an opportunity for sites to be formally considered by the local planning authority as part of its assessment of future housing, employment and other development needs.
Submitting a site is an important first step in promoting land through the planning system. The submission will typically include information about the site's location, size, ownership, current use, access arrangements and development potential. Supporting evidence may also be provided to demonstrate why the site represents a sustainable, available and achievable development opportunity.
A Call for Sites submission does not guarantee that land will be allocated or ultimately developed. However, if a site is not submitted, it is often less likely to be considered during the Local Plan process. For this reason, many landowners choose to actively promote their land to ensure it is assessed alongside other potential development opportunities within the authority's area. Early and well-prepared submissions can significantly improve the prospects of a site progressing through subsequent stages of the Local Plan process.
Assessment
Once a site has been submitted, the local planning authority will undertake an assessment to determine whether it may be suitable for future development. This process involves reviewing a wide range of planning, environmental and technical considerations to understand how the site performs in comparison with other land that has been put forward.
The assessment typically examines factors such as the site's relationship to existing settlements, access to services and facilities, highway considerations, environmental constraints, flood risk, landscape impacts, heritage issues, infrastructure capacity and overall sustainability. Authorities will also consider whether the land is available for development and whether it is realistically capable of being delivered within the plan period.
At this stage, many sites are discounted for a variety of reasons, whilst others may progress for further consideration. The assessment process is therefore a critical part of determining which sites may eventually form part of the authority's preferred growth strategy. For landowners, providing clear information and robust supporting evidence can often help ensure that a site's development potential is fully understood and properly considered by the council.
Draft Allocations
Following the assessment stage, the local planning authority will typically identify a number of preferred sites that it considers suitable to help meet future development needs. These sites are often published as draft allocations within an emerging Local Plan, allowing the authority to set out its proposed strategy for accommodating housing, employment and other forms of growth.
Being identified as a draft allocation can represent a significant milestone in the planning process because it indicates that a site has performed favourably when assessed against competing land opportunities. However, this stage is not the final decision. Draft allocations are usually subject to public consultation, during which landowners, developers, local residents and other stakeholders have the opportunity to comment on the proposed sites and policies.
For landowners, inclusion as a draft allocation can substantially improve a site's development prospects and market appeal. Equally, sites that are not selected at this stage may still have opportunities to be promoted through representations and further engagement with the Local Plan process. As the plan continues to evolve, proposed allocations can be amended, removed or added before the final version of the Local Plan is submitted for examination.
Public Consultation
Public consultation is a key stage of the Local Plan process, providing an opportunity for landowners, developers, local residents, businesses and other stakeholders to comment on the authority's proposed policies, growth strategy and site allocations. During this period, representations are invited on the emerging plan, allowing interested parties to support, object to or suggest amendments to specific proposals.
Consultation plays an important role in shaping the final Local Plan. Feedback received can influence whether sites remain allocated, are modified or are removed from the plan altogether. It also provides an opportunity for landowners to highlight the merits of their land, respond to concerns raised by others and submit additional evidence in support of development proposals.
For sites that have not been identified as preferred allocations, the consultation stage can be particularly important because it may provide an opportunity to demonstrate why the land should be reconsidered. Well-prepared representations supported by planning and technical evidence can often have a significant influence on how a site is viewed as the Local Plan progresses towards examination and adoption.
Examination
Once the Local Plan has been prepared and the consultation stages have been completed, it is submitted for independent examination by a Planning Inspector. The purpose of the examination is to determine whether the plan has been prepared in accordance with legal requirements, is supported by appropriate evidence and is sound in planning terms.
During the examination process, the Inspector will review the authority's evidence base, consider representations submitted by interested parties and, in many cases, hold public hearing sessions to examine key issues in greater detail. Matters such as housing requirements, site allocations, development strategy, infrastructure provision and planning policies are often scrutinised closely to ensure that the plan is capable of delivering sustainable growth.
The examination can result in recommended modifications to the Local Plan, including changes to policies or site allocations. In some cases, additional evidence may be required before the Inspector is satisfied that the plan is sound. For landowners, this stage can provide a further opportunity to influence the outcome of the plan through representations and participation in hearing sessions. The Inspector's conclusions can ultimately have a significant impact on whether a site is allocated and how future development opportunities are shaped within the authority's area.
Adoption
Adoption is the final stage of the Local Plan process and marks the point at which the plan formally becomes part of the development plan for the area. Once adopted, the Local Plan carries significant weight in planning decision-making and is used by the local planning authority when determining planning applications and guiding future development.
At this stage, the policies and site allocations contained within the plan become the authority's primary framework for managing growth, identifying where new housing, employment development and infrastructure should be delivered over the plan period. For landowners whose sites have been allocated, adoption can represent a major milestone, providing a strong policy basis for pursuing planning permission and bringing development forward.
Although adoption does not automatically grant planning permission, it often provides a greater degree of certainty regarding the authority's long-term development strategy. The adopted Local Plan will generally remain in place until it is reviewed or replaced, making it one of the most important planning documents affecting the future development potential and value of land.
Why Some Sites Succeed
Whilst every site is assessed on its own merits, the strongest sites are often those that align closely with the objectives of the Local Plan and can demonstrate that they represent a sustainable, deliverable and achievable development opportunity. Local planning authorities are typically seeking sites that can help meet housing and employment needs whilst integrating successfully with existing communities and infrastructure.
The most successful sites are frequently located adjacent to existing settlements, with convenient access to services, facilities, schools, employment opportunities and public transport. They are also more likely to progress where ownership is clear, the land is available for development and there are no significant constraints that would prevent delivery within the plan period. Strong sites often benefit from suitable access arrangements, realistic development potential and a robust evidence base demonstrating that planning and technical matters can be satisfactorily addressed.
Ultimately, councils are looking for sites that can contribute towards future growth in a sustainable and practical manner. Sites that perform well against these considerations are generally more likely to progress through the Local Plan process and be identified as suitable for future development.
The strongest sites often demonstrate:
Frequently Asked Questions
Free Local Plan Review
Value My Land can review whether your site may be suitable for future allocation and identify emerging Local Plan opportunities.