Create or update a local plan
Information and resources for local planning authorities on creating a local plan.
About this collection
This collection gathers together resources for local planning authorities (LPAs) to use when creating a local plan.
These resources reflect the current planning policy and legal framework for local plans.
This page is a first step towards a new home for local plans information that will cover the end-to-end plan-making process. We’ll be adding more practical resources to help you at all stages of the plan-making process.
Upcoming changes to local plans
We intend to implement the new plan-making system, as introduced by the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023, later this year.
We’ll publish more information here about the new system as it’s available.
Select ‘Get emails about this page’ above to be notified when we add new pages.
Other resources to use alongside this collection
Get support with different aspects of plan-making
Get support with local plans from the Planning Advisory Service.
Read case studies on how local planning authorities have used digital technology for various aspects of plan-making.
Use the digital citizen engagement toolkit to get help with using digital tools for improved consultations and engagement in planning.
Provide data about your plan
Use the planning data platform as a guide to provide data about your plan. Providing data about your plan makes it available on the national map of local plan boundaries and the data findable in the national list of local plans.
National Planning Policy Framework
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out the government’s planning policies for England and how these are expected to be applied, including a policy framework for plan-making.
Planning practice guidance
The Planning practice guidance (PPG) sets out more detail on how to apply planning policies.
The PPG pages most relevant to preparing a local plan are included in the sections below.
You should continue to look at the PPG to see the full range of guidance that might be relevant to your own plan. In future, we’re aiming to restructure this guidance to be clearer about what information you need at different stages of creating a local plan.
Starting a local plan
The PPG page on plan-making is a good place to start when creating your plan.
It covers key aspects of plan-making, including the role of plans, co-operating with other bodies, and making sure that strategic matters can be delivered.
Selecting sites for development
We’ve highlighted pages of the PPG that will help you select sites for allocation in a local plan.
They cover the process of identifying, assessing and selecting sites, as well as matters to consider during the process.
These pages are listed in the order you might approach the site selection process.
Gathering evidence and drafting your local plan
As well as the PPG page on plan-making linked earlier, the following pages of the PPG include guidance on preparing a proportionate, relevant and up-to-date evidence base that informs the policies in your plan. They also cover writing the policies in your plan.
These pages are set out in alphabetical order. You can choose the order that works best for your LPA to factor them into the plan-making process.
Creating a policies map
Recommended standards for creating the policies map to accompany your local plan.
Processing representations
A case study on how you can use a Microsoft automation to manage representations during the consultation phases of plan-making.
Plan examinations
Information about preparing for and submitting your plan for examination.