BCP Councils Cabinet meeting on the 27th May 2026 agreed to the governance arrangements set out before them to enable work to formally commence on preparing a new Local Plan within the reformed 30-month plan making system, from Gateway 1 to adoption. Cabinet agreed to:
1. Give delegated authority to Leader of the Council and Chair of Cabinet to undertake the necessary activities to:
a. Issue the Notice to Commence plan making;
b. Publish the timetable and Project Initiation Document, and update as required.
c. Publish a scoping consultation exercise for a period of 6 weeks.
d. Progress the Local Plan through the Gateway stages.
2. Agreed the Terms of Reference of the Local Plan Working Group.
The 3 stages agreed are:
Stage 1 Getting ready: May 2026 to Sept 2026
Stage 2 Preparing the plan: Sept 2026 to March 2028/April 2028
Stage 3 Examination: from May 2028 to Dec 2028/Jan 2029 for adoption of the Local Plan.
Once adopted, the Plan will serve as the principal basis for determining planning applications, directly shaping the future growth, development, and sustainability of BCP’s communities. It will allow BCP to:
* Maintain control over the amount and location of housing and employment growth;
* Allocate sites and areas for development, helping to provide housing for local people and supporting economic growth;
* Set up-to-date standards for design quality, density, housing mix and affordable housing;
* Infrastructure alongside growth – including schools, highways infrastructure, green spaces and health infrastructure;
* Give certainty to our communities about where the most significant changes will take place;
* Support the regeneration of our town centres and high streets;
* Protect valuable habitats, species, recreation areas and important employment land; and
* Direct development near to services and to support improved public transport.
If you have a site in the BCP Council area and would like advice on how to promote your site through the local plan process, please contact us on 01929 553818 for more information on how Chapman Lily Planning can assist.
Until the new Local Plan for BCP is adopted, planning applications for additional dwellings will be determined by officers having regards to the NPPF and applying the ‘tilted balance’ (where relevant) in accordance with para. 11 (d) of the NPPF.
