House of Commons · Written Ministerial Statement
Local Plan-Making and Guidance
27 February 2025 · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Proposed by Matthew Pennycook Lab Greenwich and Woolwich
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
At a glance
Key points
- The government is publishing its response to the consultation on plan-making reforms.
- A new resource site on gov.uk will launch to assist local authorities in creating or updating local plans.
- Funding support will be provided to local authorities for Green Belt reviews and local plan delivery.
Issue summary
The statement discusses updates to local plan-making processes, including simplifying plans for better community engagement, accelerating plan preparation, and enhancing digital technology use.
Action requested
The government is publishing its response to the consultation on plan-making reforms, launching a new resource site on gov.uk for creating or updating local plans, revising Planning Practice Guidance, and providing funding support to local authorities for Green Belt reviews and local plan delivery. The Pathways to Planning programme will receive additional funding to enhance planning capacity.
Key facts
- Fewer than a third of local areas have an up-to-date local plan.
- New resources on gov.uk: Create or Update a Local Plan site launched today.
- £70,000 pump priming funding for 133 local authorities to carry out Green Belt reviews.
- Additional funding announced for Regulation 18 and 19 stage local plans by February 2025.
- £4.5 million allocated for the Pathways to Planning programme to fund salary bursaries for new planning roles in councils.
- 300-planner target set for end of 2026.