Kirklees Council has set a new timetable for the completion of its Local Plan, a planning blueprint which will shape the district over the next 15 years.
The council decided its current Local Plan, a document which allocates land for such as new homes, business and industry, was out-of-date in October 2023. One of the main issues was a lack of housing land.
Since then the council has embarked on a large-scale process to draw up a new plan and had hoped to have a draft out for public consultation by the end of 2026.
However, that now won’t happen as the Government this month introduced new plan-making regulations that all local councils must follow.
Under the regulations, the council’s Cabinet has agreed to issue its notice of intention to deliver its Local Plan and a revised Local Plan Timetable to reflect a statutory 30-month plan-making process.
David Shepherd, executive director for place, said: “The Government’s plan-making reforms over the last 12 months represent a significant restructuring of Local Plan preparation with a focus on up-to-date plans and a more efficient, transparent planning system that supports a growth agenda.
“By adopting the new requirements and issuing our intention to begin our Local Plan we can deliver a plan that supports sustainable growth, reflects local priorities and provides certainty for residents, partners and developers alike.
“The setting out of a clear timetable will make it easier for us to engage our communities, collect feedback and bring forward our Local Plan.”
Work already carried out – such as a ‘call for sites’ where landowners, developers and the public can suggest sites for development – won’t necessarily have been wasted but will have to be checked against the new requirements.
The council says it will continue to work through its ‘call for sites’ process but there may have to be further consultation or engagement exercises.
The council will prepare and publish a self-assessment summary of its readiness to deliver the Local Plan and submit it to the Government by October 2026.
The Local Plan Vision and Strategy will be prepared before it goes out to public consultation in June 2027.
A draft Local Plan will then be developed from feedback and further evidence gathering in July 2027. The draft and supporting documents will then be submitted for approval in March 2028.
A further public consultation will take place in April 2028 and the final Local Plan submitted and examined in September 2028.
The plan is due to run until 2043.
