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The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026

S.I. 2026/186 · Made 3 March 2026

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TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING, ENGLAND

Made at 8.19 a.m. on 3rd March 2026

Laid before Parliament 4th March 2026

Coming into force 25th March 2026

The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 15B(5), (10) and (11), 15BA(3)(b) and (4), 15BB(4), 15C(5), 15CA(3), (6)(i) and (8)(a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (g), (h), 15CB(4) and (8), 15CC(11) and (12), 15D(1) and (2), 15DA(3)(b), 15DB(4), 15G(2)(c), 15IB(4) and (5), 15IC(10) and (11), 15JB(6) and (7), 15LD(2)(a) and (b), 15LE(1) and (2)(d), (e), (f), (g), (h), (m), (n) and (p), 17(6A) and (7), 19(2)(j), 20(3), 25(b), 28(9) and (11), 28C(6) and (7), 31(6) and (7), 33A(1)(c) and (9), 35(2), 36 and 122(3)(a) and (b) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004f1.

Annotations to the whole text

Footnotes

f1

2004 c. 5. Sections 15B, 15BA, 15C, 15CA, 15CB, 15CC, 15D, 15DA, 15DB, 15G, 15IB, 15IC, 15JB, 15LD and 15LE of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (c. 5) (“the Act”) were inserted by section 97 of, and Schedule 7 to, the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 (c. 55) (“the LURA”). Sections 17, 19, 20, 25, 28, 28C, 31, 35 and 36 of the Act were repealed by section 97 of, and Schedule 7 to, the LURA but are saved by S.I. 2026/169, as they had effect immediately before 25th March 2026, for purposes related to certain existing or proposed local development documents. Section 33A of the Act was repealed by section 97 of, and Schedule 7 to, the LURA. Section 122(1) of the Act provides that a power to prescribe is a power to prescribe by regulations, exercisable by the Secretary of State in relation to England or the Welsh Ministers in relation to Wales. Section 15BB(4) of the Act applies sections 15B(5) and (10), and 15BA(3)(b) and (4) in relation to a minerals and waste plan timetable as they apply in relation to a local plan timetable. Section 15CB(8) of the Act applies Part 2 of the Act in relation to a minerals and waste plan as it applies in relation to a local plan, subject to the exceptions set out at section 15CB(10); Part 2 of the Act has been modified in relation to a minerals and waste plan by S.I. 2026/170.

Contents

  1. Part 1: GENERAL
  2. 1Citation, commencement, extent and application
  3. 2Interpretation
  4. 3Electronic communications
  5. Part 2: PLAN TIMETABLES
  6. 4Form and content of a local plan timetable
  7. 5Form and content of a minerals and waste plan timetable
  8. 6Revision of a local plan timetable
  9. 7Revision of a minerals and waste plan timetable
  10. 8Publication of a local plan timetable
  11. 9Publication of a minerals and waste plan timetable
  12. 10Direction by the Mayor of London
  13. Part 3: FORM AND CONTENT OF PLANS AND REGARD TO BE HAD TO CERTAIN MATTERS
  14. 11Form and content of local plans: general
  15. 12Form and content of minerals and waste plan documents: general
  16. 13Form and content of supplementary plans: general
  17. 14Local plans: other matters to which regard is to be had
  18. 15Minerals and waste plans: other matters to which regard is to be had
  19. 16Supplementary plans: matters to which regard is to be had
  20. Part 4: LOCAL PLANS
  21. 17Interpretation of Part 4
  22. 18Preparation of a new local plan
  23. 19Notice of intention to commence local plan preparation
  24. 20Scoping consultation: local plan
  25. 21Gateway 1: self-assessment of readiness for local plan preparation
  26. 22Publication of summary of scoping consultation
  27. 23Consultation on proposed local plan content and evidence
  28. 24Publication of summary of consultation on proposed local plan content and evidence
  29. 25Map of proposed local plan policies
  30. 26Gateway 2: observations and advice from an appointed person
  31. 27Consultation on the proposed local plan
  32. 28Conformity with operative spatial development strategy
  33. 29Supplementary plans statement
  34. 30Publication of summary of consultation on the proposed local plan
  35. 31Gateway 3: prescribed requirements assessment by an appointed person
  36. 32Gateway 3: prescribed requirements
  37. 33Repeat of gateway 3: further prescribed requirements assessment by an appointed person
  38. 34Submission of documents and information to the Secretary of State
  39. 35Independent examination: local plans
  40. 36Pause of independent examination for further work
  41. 37Publication of the recommendations and reasons of the examiner: local plans
  42. 38Withdrawal of a local plan
  43. 39Adoption of a local plan
  44. 40Revocation of a local plan
  45. 41Revision of a local plan
  46. Part 5: MINERALS AND WASTE PLANS
  47. 42Interpretation of Part 5
  48. 43Preparation of a new minerals and waste plan document
  49. 44Notice of intention to commence minerals and waste plan document preparation
  50. 45Scoping consultation: minerals and waste plan document
  51. 46Gateway 1: self-assessment of readiness for minerals and waste plan document preparation
  52. 47Publication of summary of scoping consultation
  53. 48Consultation on proposed minerals and waste plan document content and evidence
  54. 49Publication of summary of consultation on proposed minerals and waste plan document content and evidence
  55. 50Map of proposed minerals and waste plan document policies
  56. 51Gateway 2: observations and advice from an appointed person
  57. 52Consultation on the proposed minerals and waste plan document
  58. 53Conformity with operative spatial development strategy
  59. 54Supplementary plans statement
  60. 55Publication of summary of consultation on the proposed minerals and waste plan document
  61. 56Gateway 3: prescribed requirements assessment by an appointed person
  62. 57Gateway 3: prescribed requirements
  63. 58Repeat of gateway 3: further prescribed requirements assessment by an appointed person
  64. 59Submission of documents and information to the Secretary of State
  65. 60Independent examination: minerals and waste plan document
  66. 61Pause of independent examination for further work
  67. 62Publication of the recommendations and reasons of the examiner: minerals and waste plan document
  68. 63Withdrawal of a minerals and waste plan document
  69. 64Adoption of a minerals and waste plan document
  70. 65Revocation of a minerals and waste plan document
  71. 66Revision of a minerals and waste plan document
  72. Part 6: SUPPLEMENTARY PLANS
  73. 67Interpretation of Part 6
  74. 68Notice of intention to commence supplementary plan preparation
  75. 69Map of proposed supplementary plan policies
  76. 70Consultation on the proposed supplementary plan
  77. 71Conformity with operative spatial development strategy
  78. 72Submission of documents and information for independent examination: supplementary plans
  79. 73Independent examination: supplementary plans
  80. 74Publication of the recommendations and reasons of the examiner: supplementary plans
  81. 75Withdrawal of a supplementary plan
  82. 76Adoption of a supplementary plan
  83. 77Revocation of a supplementary plan
  84. 78Revision of a supplementary plan
  85. Part 7: JOINT PLANS
  86. 79Joint local plans and minerals and waste plan documents: corresponding plans
  87. 80Joint supplementary plans: corresponding plans
  88. 81Joint committees: corresponding plans and corresponding timetable
  89. 82Joint local plans: application of these Regulations
  90. 83Joint minerals and waste plan documents: application of these Regulations
  91. 84Joint supplementary plans: application of these Regulations
  92. Part 8: POLICIES MAP
  93. 85Form and content of a policies map
  94. 86Revision of a policies map
  95. 87Availability of a policies map
  96. Part 9: AVAILABILITY OF DOCUMENTS
  97. 88Availability of documents: general
  98. 89Copies of documents
  99. Part 10: REVOCATION, TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS AND PRESCRIBED MINERALS AND WASTE DOCUMENTS
  100. 90Revocation of Regulations
  101. 91Transitional provisions
  102. 92Prescribed documents: minerals and waste provisions in plans
  103. Signature
  104. Schedule: TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS
  105. 1Interpretation of Schedule
  106. 2Commencing local plan preparation
  107. 3Commencing local plan preparation
  108. 4Commencing local plan preparation
  109. 5Commencing local plan preparation
  110. 6Commencing local plan preparation
  111. 7Commencing local plan preparation
  112. 8Commencing local plan preparation
  113. 9Commencing local plan preparation
  114. 10Commencing local plan preparation
  115. 11Commencing local plan preparation
  116. 12Commencing minerals and waste plan document preparation
  117. 13Commencing minerals and waste plan document preparation
  118. 14Commencing minerals and waste plan document preparation
  119. 15Commencing minerals and waste plan document preparation
  120. 16Commencing minerals and waste plan document preparation
  121. 17Commencing minerals and waste plan document preparation
  122. 18Commencing minerals and waste plan document preparation
  123. 19Commencing minerals and waste plan document preparation
  124. 20Commencing minerals and waste plan document preparation
  125. 21Policies map
  126. Explanatory note