{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/town-and-country-planning-local-planning-england-regulations-2026/regulation-2",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/town-and-country-planning-local-planning-england-regulations-2026/regulation-2.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2026/186",
  "legislation_title": "The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/town-and-country-planning-local-planning-england-regulations-2026",
  "path": "regulation/2",
  "kind": "regulation",
  "number": "2",
  "heading": "Interpretation",
  "text": "(1) In these Regulations, a planning authority is either—\n(a) a local planning authority, or\n(b) a minerals and waste planning authority.\n(2) In these Regulations—\n“the Act” means the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004;\n“address” means—\n(a) a number or address used for the purposes of sending or receiving documents or information by electronic means;\n(b) a postal address;\n“education functions” means the functions specified in Schedule 36A to the Education Act 1996;\n“electronic communication” has the same meaning as in section 15 (1) of the Electronic Communications Act 2000;\n“electronic communications apparatus” has the same meaning as in paragraph 5(1) of the electronic communications code;\n“electronic communications code” has the same meaning as in section 106 (1) of the Communications Act 2003;\n“the examiner” means—\n(a) in Part 4, the person appointed to carry out the independent examination of a local plan by the Secretary of State under section 15D(4) of the Act;\n(b) in Part 5, the person appointed to carry out the independent examination of a minerals and waste plan document by the Secretary of State under section 15D(4) of the Act;\n(c) in Part 6, the person appointed by the Secretary of State under section 15DB(2)(a) of the Act, or the person to whom the supplementary plan is submitted under section 15DB(2)(b) of the Act;\n“general consultation bodies” means—\n(a) voluntary bodies, some or all of whose activities benefit all or part of the planning authority’s area;\n(b) bodies which represent the interests of persons in the planning authority’s area who share a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010;\n(c) bodies which represent the interests of persons carrying on business in the planning authority’s area;\n“inspection” means inspection by the public;\n“Integrated Transport Authority” means—\n(a) an authority which is known as an Integrated Transport Authority as a result of section 77(2) of the Local Transport Act 2008 (change of name of passenger transport areas and PTAs), or\n(b) an authority established under Part 5 of that Act (Integrated Transport Authorities etc.);\n“lead local flood authority” means—\n(a) the unitary authority for the area, or\n(b) if there is no unitary authority, the county council for the area;\n“local authority” means—\n(a) a county council;\n(b) a metropolitan district council;\n(c) a non-metropolitan district council for an area for which there is no county council;\n(d) a London borough council;\n(e) the Common Council of the City of London in its capacity as a local authority;\n“local policing body” means—\n(a) a police and crime commissioner elected under section 1 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011;\n(b) the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime established under section 3 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011;\n(c) the Common Council of the City of London in its capacity as a police authority;\n“map of proposed local plan policies” means the document referred to in regulation 25;\n“map of proposed minerals and waste plan document policies” means the document referred to in regulation 50;\n“map of proposed supplementary plan policies” means the document referred to in regulation 69;\n“minerals and waste plan document” means a document which is to be or form part of the minerals and waste plan;\n“neighbourhood forum” means an organisation or body designated as such under section 61F (3) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990;\n“notice of content and evidence consultation” has the meaning given in regulation 48(5);\n“notice of intention to commence local plan preparation” means the document referred to in regulation 19;\n“notice of intention to commence minerals and waste plan document preparation” means the document referred to in regulation 44;\n“notice of intention to commence supplementary plan preparation” means the document referred to in regulation 68;\n“notice of plan content and evidence consultation” has the meaning given in regulation 23(5);\n“notice of proposed local plan consultation” has the meaning given in regulation 27(5);\n“notice of proposed minerals and waste plan document consultation” has the meaning given in regulation 52(5);\n“notice of proposed supplementary plan consultation” has the meaning given in regulation 70(7);\n“notice of scoping consultation”—\n(a) in relation to a local plan, has the meaning given in regulation 20(5);\n(b) in relation to a minerals and waste plan document, has the meaning given in regulation 45(5);\n“Ordnance Survey map” means an Ordnance Map or a map on a similar base at a registered scale;\n“planning authority’s area” in relation to a minerals and waste planning authority, means that authority’s relevant area;\n“proposed local plan content and evidence” has the meaning given in regulation 23(5);\n“proposed local plan submission documents” has the meaning given in regulation 27(5);\n“proposed minerals and waste plan document content and evidence” has the meaning given in regulation 48(5);\n“proposed minerals and waste plan document submission documents” has the meaning given in regulation 52(5);\n“proposed supplementary plan submission documents” has the meaning given in regulation 70(7);\n“relevant authority” means—\n(a) in relation to a joint local plan, a local planning authority who are one of the relevant authorities in relation to that plan for the purposes of section 15IA of the Act;\n(b) in relation to a joint minerals and waste plan document, a minerals and waste planning authority who are one of the relevant authorities in relation to that document for the purposes of section 15IA of the Act;\n(c) in relation to a joint supplementary plan, a local planning authority or (as the case may be) a minerals and waste planning authority who are one of the relevant authorities in relation to that plan for the purposes of section 15IC of the Act;\n“relevant consultation body” means—\n(a) a local planning authority;\n(b) a minerals and waste planning authority;\n(c) a parish council;\n(d) a local policing body;\n(e) a combined authority established under section 103 (1) of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009;\n(f) a combined county authority established under section 9 (1) of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023;\n“self-assessment summary” means—\n(a) in relation to a local plan, the document referred to in regulation 21;\n(b) in relation to a minerals and waste plan document, the document referred to in regulation 46;\n“specific consultation bodies” means—\n(a) Active Travel England;\n(b) any person—\n(i) to whom the electronic communications code applies as a result of a direction given under section 106 (3) (a) of the Communications Act 2003, and\n(ii) who owns or controls electronic communications apparatus situated in the planning authority’s area;\n(c) Canal & River Trust;\n(d) the Civil Aviation Authority;\n(e) the Coal Authority;\n(f) the English Sports Council;\n(g) the Environment Agency;\n(h) the Forestry Commission;\n(i) a highway authority within the meaning in section 1 of the Highways Act 1980, any part of whose area is in or adjoins the planning authority’s area (including the Secretary of State, where the Secretary of State is the highways authority);\n(j) the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England;\n(k) the Homes and Communities Agency;\n(l) if it exercises functions in the planning authority’s area—\n(i) an integrated care board established under Chapter A3 of Part 2 of the National Health Service Act 2006,\n(ii) a person to whom a licence has been granted under section 6 (1) (b) or (c) of the Electricity Act 1989 (licences authorising supply, etc.),\n(iii) a person to whom a licence has been granted under section 7 (2) of the Gas Act 1986 (licensing of public gas transporters),\n(iv) a sewerage undertaker appointed under section 6 (1) of the Water Industry Act 1991, and\n(v) a water undertaker appointed under section 6 (1) of the Water Industry Act 1991;\n(m) an Integrated Transport Authority for an integrated transport area within the meaning in section 77(1) of the Local Transport Act 2008, which is in or adjoins the planning authority’s area;\n(n) the Marine Management Organisation;\n(o) Natural England;\n(p) a neighbourhood forum any part of whose area is in or adjoins the planning authority’s area;\n(q) Network Rail Infrastructure Limited;\n(r) the Office for Nuclear Regulation;\n(s) the Office of Rail and Road;\n(t) where the planning authority are a London borough council or any part of their area adjoins Greater London, Transport for London;\n(u) a relevant consultation body any part of whose area is in or adjoins the planning authority’s area;\n(v) where the planning authority are a London borough council, the Mayor of London;\n(w) where the planning authority are not responsible for discharging education functions in their area, the local authority with that responsibility;\n(x) where the planning authority are not the lead local flood authority for their area, that lead local flood authority;\n(y) the responsible authority for a local nature recovery strategy that relates to all or part of the planning authority’s area appointed under section 105 (2) of the Environment Act 2021, where that authority is not the planning authority;\n“unitary authority” means—\n(a) the council of a county for which there are no district councils;\n(b) the council of a district in an area for which there is no county council;\n(c) the council of a London borough;\n(d) the Common Council of the City of London;\n(e) the Council of the Isles of Scilly.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "See section 15LF of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 for the definition of “local planning authority” applying to these Regulations."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f2",
      "text": "See section 15LG of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 for the definition of “minerals and waste planning authority” applying to these Regulations."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f3",
      "text": "1996 c. 56; Schedule 36A was inserted by S.I. 2010/1158, and has been amended by paragraph 42(3) of Schedule 26 and paragraph 1 of Schedule 27 to the Equality Act 2010 (c. 15); paragraph 62(2) and (3) of Schedule 3 to the Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6); there are other amendments which are not relevant to these Regulations."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f4",
      "text": "2000 c. 7; section 15(1) was relevantly amended by paragraph 158 of Schedule 17 to the Communications Act 2003 (c. 21)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f5",
      "text": "2003 c. 21; section 106(1) was amended by section 4(4) of the Digital Economy Act 2017 (c. 30); Schedule 3A was inserted by Schedule 1 to the Digital Economy Act 2017."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f6",
      "text": "See section 15LH(3) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 for the definition of “local plan” applying to these Regulations."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f7",
      "text": "Section 15D(4) is applied in relation to a minerals and waste plan by section 15CB(8) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004; its application in relation to a minerals and waste plan is modified by S.I. 2026/170."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f8",
      "text": "See section 15LH(3) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 for the definition of “supplementary plan” applying to these Regulations."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f9",
      "text": "2010 c. 15; see sections 4 to 12."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f10",
      "text": "2008 c. 26."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f11",
      "text": "See section 1(2) and (3) of the Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f12",
      "text": "See section 270(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 for the definition of “non-metropolitan district”."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f13",
      "text": "2011 c. 13; section 1 was amended by section 22(1) and paragraph 87(2) and (3) of Schedule 1 to the Policing and Crime Act 2017 (c. 3) and S.I. 2017/470; there are amendments to section 3 which are not relevant to these Regulations."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f14",
      "text": "See section 15LH(3) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 for the definition of “minerals and waste plan” applying to these Regulations."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f15",
      "text": "1990 c. 8; section 61F was inserted by paragraph 2 of Schedule 9 to the Localism Act 2011 (c. 20) and amended by section 5(2) of the Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017 (c. 20)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f16",
      "text": "See section 15LG(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 for the definition of “relevant area” applying to these Regulations."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f17",
      "text": "See section 15LH(3) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 for the definition of “joint local plan” applying to these Regulations."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f18",
      "text": "See section 15LH(3) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, as applied by section 15CB(8) of the Act and modified by S.I. 2026/170, for the definition of “joint minerals and waste plan document” applying to these Regulations."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f19",
      "text": "Section 15IA is applied in relation to a minerals and waste plan by section 15CB(8) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004; its application in relation to a minerals and waste plan is modified by S.I. 2026/170."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f20",
      "text": "See section 15LH(3) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 for the definition of “joint supplementary plan” applying to these Regulations."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f21",
      "text": "2009 c. 20; section 103 was amended by sections 12(2) and 14(2) of the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016 (c. 1); paragraph 189 of Schedule 4 to the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 (c. 55)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f22",
      "text": "2023 c. 55."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f23",
      "text": "Active Travel England is an executive agency of the Department for Transport."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f24",
      "text": "Canal & River Trust is a company limited by guarantee (company registration number 07807276) whose registered office is at National Waterways Museum Ellesmere Port, South Pier Road, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, CH65 4FW and a registered charity registered with the Charity Commission number 1146792."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f25",
      "text": "The Civil Aviation Authority was constituted as a body corporate under section 2 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982 (c. 16); section 2 was amended by section 95(1) of the Civil Aviation Act 2012 (c. 19)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f26",
      "text": "The Coal Authority was established as a body corporate under section 1 of the Coal Industry Act 1994 (c. 21); it operates under the name “Mining Remediation Authority”."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f27",
      "text": "The English Sports Council was established by Royal Charter on 19th September 1996; it operates under the name “Sport England”."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f28",
      "text": "The Environment Agency was established as a body corporate under section 1 of the Environment Act 1995 (c. 25)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f29",
      "text": "Section 1(1) of the Forestry Act 1967 (c. 10) provides that the Forestry Commissioners constituted under the Forestry Acts 1919 to 1945 shall continue in existence. They are referred to in the Forestry Act 1967 (c. 10) as “the Commissioners”; subsection (1A) provides that, in that Act, “the appropriate forestry authority” means, in relation to England, the Commissioners; section 1 was amended by section 4 of the Wildlife and Countryside (Amendment) Act 1985 (c. 31); S.I. 2013/755; there are other amendments to section 1 which are not relevant to these Regulations."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f30",
      "text": "1980 c. 66; section 1 was amended by paragraph 1 of Schedule 4 and Schedule 17 to the Local Government Act 1985 (c. 51); section 21(2) of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (c. 22); section 259(2) and (3) of the Greater London Authority Act 1999 (c. 29); paragraph 2 of Schedule 1 to the Infrastructure Act 2015 (c. 7); there are other amendments to section 1 which are not relevant to these Regulations."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f31",
      "text": "The Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England was established by section 32 of the National Heritage Act 1983 (c. 47); it operates under the name “Historic England”."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f32",
      "text": "The Homes and Communities Agency is a body corporate established by section 1 of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (c. 17); it operates under the name “Homes England”."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f33",
      "text": "2006 c. 41; Chapter A3 was inserted by section 19(2) of the Health and Care Act 2022 (c. 31)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f34",
      "text": "1989 c. 29; section 6 was substituted by section 30 of the Utilities Act 2000 (c. 27); section 6(1)(b) and (c) were amended by section 136(1) of, and Part 1 of Schedule 23 to, the Energy Act 2004 (c. 20); there are other amendments to these provisions which are not relevant to these Regulations."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f35",
      "text": "1986 c. 44; section 7 was substituted by section 5 of the Gas Act 1995 (c. 45) and relevantly amended by section 3(2), section 76(2) and (3), and paragraph 4 of Schedule 6 to the Utilities Act 2000, section 149(5) of the Energy Act 2004, and by S.I. 2011/2704."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f36",
      "text": "1991 c. 56; section 6 was amended by section 36(2) and paragraph 3 of Schedule 8 to the Water Act 2003 (c. 37); paragraph 6 of Schedule 7 to the Water Act 2014 (c. 21); paragraph 28(4)(b) of Schedule 23 to the Deregulation Act 2015 (c. 20)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f37",
      "text": "Section 77(1) of the Local Transport Act 2008 renamed passenger transport areas established under section 9(1)(a)(i) of the Transport Act 1968 (c. 73) as integrated transport areas."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f38",
      "text": "The Marine Management Organisation was established by section 1 of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (c. 23)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f39",
      "text": "Natural England was constituted by section 1 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 (c. 16); section 1 was amended by section 311 of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (c. 23)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f40",
      "text": "Network Rail Infrastructure Limited is a company limited by guarantee (company registration number 02904587)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f41",
      "text": "The Office for Nuclear Regulation was established by section 77 of the Energy Act 2013 (c. 32)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f42",
      "text": "The Office of Rail and Road was established by section 15 of the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003 (c. 20); section 15 was amended by S.I. 2015/1682."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f43",
      "text": "See section 2 of the London Government Act 1963 (c. 33) for the definition of “Greater London”."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f44",
      "text": "Transport for London was established by section 154 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999 (c. 29)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f45",
      "text": "2021 c. 30."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/186/regulation/2",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-28T21:05:31.026098+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}