The starting pistol has fired on Dorset Council’s new Local Plan.
A notice under Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026 has been published to formally start the process.
It will be prepared under the Government’s new local plan-making system, designed to speed up preparation and adoption of the planning blueprints.
Dorset Council says that it is currently preparing for the first consultation on the scope of the new Local Plan before a formal 30-month plan-making phase starts.
There will be a series of stages, with adoption ultimately scheduled for February to August 2029, assuming all goes as proposed.
They are:
Stage 1: Early preparation
Stage 2: Scoping consultation – 21 September to 25 October 2026
Stage 3: Gateway 1 – self assessment of readiness to start plan-making – 30 November
Stage 4: Proposed Local Plan content and evidence consultation – March/April 2027 to April/June 2027
Stage 5: Gateway 2 – observations and advice from the Planning Inspectorate on emerging Local Plan – July/September 2027
Stage 6: Consultation on draft Local Plan – January/March to March/May 2028
Stage 7: Gateway 3 – further advice from the Planning Inspectorate – May/August 2028
Stage 8: Local Plan submitted for examination by the Planning Inspectorate – July/October 2028
Stage 9: Adoption – If the Planning Inspectorate finds the plan sound and legally compliant – February/August 2029
The new Local Plan will set out how Dorset will grow over the coming years – including where new homes, jobs and infrastructure should be built.
The switch to the new Local Plan making system comes after the council initially scheduled the completion of a new Local Plan for 2023-24 and then 2026-27.
Dorset Council says that producing a sound plan is no longer achievable under the previous arrangements. Previous work and more than 9,000 consultation responses will be used to inform the new Local Plan, meaning it is not starting from scratch, according to the council.
It is critical that Dorset Council delivers a suitably bold and ambitious Local Plan at pace that meets the present and future needs of the county – including much-needed housing and development for the community and local economy.
KPPC will submit its representations to the council throughout the Local Plan making process. We will also be representing the interests of the planning community and can support anyone with land or a site they wish to promote.
Please contact us to find out more.
