About the Local Plan update

The council's Local Plan, which was adopted in 2016, is currently being updated to ensure it remains up to date and delivers national and local objectives.

The purpose of the Local Plan is to provide a planning policy framework to direct growth and change to appropriate locations and therefore achieve sustainable development to create places people want to live, work and locate their businesses. The plan covers all types of development, from housing to employment, schools, roads, parks, shops and community facilities, The Local Plan also includes a range of planning policies to inform the location, scale and appearance of developments. When adopted it will form part of the Development Plan for the area.

Reason why the Local Plan is being updated

National guidance promotes the concept of an on-going cycle of plan making and review, which is reinforced by a legal requirement to review Plans every five years. Following a review, which considered changes to national planning policy, the council took the decision to update the current adopted Local Plan. An updated plan will look longer into the future, covering the period up to at least 2040, and will ensure that the borough's needs are met over this longer period. It will also enable key objectives of the council, such as tackling climate change and ensuring the protection of enhancement of our environment to be embedded into the plan.

How long it will take to update the Local Plan

We are required to publish a Local Development Scheme (LDS) to set out which planning documents will be produced and when.

Progress on the Local Plan update

The council undertook its first non-statutory Issues and Options stage in late 2020. Find out more information on the consultation and the responses received.

A number of evidence base documents to support the Local Plan update have also been completed. These cover a variety of issues from landscape impact to water quality. View the published documents online.

The council is now working towards publishing a draft Plan for Regulation 18 consultation in January 2024 and a number of internal meetings have taken place to inform this. Please see our current news page for more information. Specific information on the emerging approach to housing number can be seen on our Stepped trajectory page.

How to get involved

We will be undertaking a number of formal consultations throughout the Local Plan update. More details of the consultations will be available nearer the time, via our newsletters, online and social media.

Keep up to date

Sign up to the council's mailing list to receive updates on planning policy matters in the borough and be included in the circulation of the council's newsletter in future, please register for updates by using the link below using our consultation software CiviQ.

Register for updates

Please note that the above link takes you to an external portal, which the council subscribe to.

For further information on how your data will be used please read our Privacy Notice Basingstoke and Deane is the data controller for the personal information you provide on the form on CiviQ. You can contact the council by phone on 01256 844844 or by writing to us at Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Civic Offices, London Road, Basingstoke, RG21 4AH. The council’s Data Protection Officer can be contacted at dpo@basingstoke.gov.uk.