Create or update a local plan using the new system
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-27)

Information and resources for local planning authorities on creating a local plan under the new plan-making system.

About this collection

This collection brings together guidance and resources for local planning authorities (LPAs) preparing a local plan under the new plan-making system.

The new plan-making system covers plans prepared and adopted under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, as amended by the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act 2023.

The term ‘new plan-making system’ includes:

the changes to the primary legislative framework, set out in the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act (LURA) 2023

the detailed procedures for local plans, minerals and waste plans, and supplementary plans set out in secondary legislation

the policy changes set out in the revised draft National Planning Policy Framework, which will be published shortly

the guidance in this collection

For plans under the legacy plan-making system

If you are submitting your plan under the legacy system, use the create or update a local plan using the legacy system guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/create-or-update-a-local-plan-using-the-legacy-system).

The legacy system covers plans to be adopted under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, excluding the amendments made by the LURA, and The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.

Using this guidance

This is draft guidance and may change.

We have published this guidance now so that LPAs can see the direction of travel for the new plan making system. We will review the guidance and make any necessary revisions and updates as the new system is implemented, and related regulations and policy are confirmed.

This guidance covers the first steps in preparing a plan under the new system, along with other parts of the plan-making process. It will eventually cover the full process of the new plan-making system.

We’ve published this guidance to let you see the upcoming changes to the new plan-making system and help you begin your new local plan immediately.

Find out when this guidance changes

Get notified when this page changes by selecting the ‘Get emails about this page’ button at the top of this page.

Provide feedback on this guidance

You can give feedback to help shape and inform the final version of this guidance. Email xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) by 15 March 2026 with your feedback, including which part of the guidance it is about.

This is not a formal consultation.

New plan-making regulations and policy

We’ve set out what we intend the regulations will cover in our explanation of the new regulations (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/plan-making-regulations-explainer).

Find out more in the written ministerial statement from 27 November 2025 (https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-11-27/hcws1104).

Revising national plan-making policy

We’re writing clearer national planning policies for local plans that are being prepared in the new system, alongside new national policies for decision making.

We intend to publish a revised version of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) for consultation later this year. We will respond and publish an update once the consultation has been concluded and the necessary analysis of responses completed, which we anticipate completing in Summer 2026.

If you are preparing a plan in the new system, you may have regard to the consultation draft of the NPPF once published, to help inform the early stages of preparation of your local plan.

Other resources to use alongside this collection

Provide data about your plan

We are collecting local plan data to create a national picture of local plans.

You will soon be able to use the planning data platform (https://www.planning.data.gov.uk/) to provide data about your plan, including adoption dates, local plan boundary areas and a link to the plan.

Providing data will make your plan available on the national map (https://www.planning.data.gov.uk/map/?dataset=local-plan-boundary) and the national list of local plans (https://www.planning.data.gov.uk/entity/?dataset=local-plan).

Providing data is currently optional, but we plan to introduce legislation in future making it mandatory to provide specific local plan data.

Get support with different aspects of plan-making

Get support with local plans from the Planning Advisory Service (https://www.local.gov.uk/welcome-planning-advisory-service-pas).

Read case studies (https://www.localdigital.gov.uk/digital-planning/case-studies/) on how local planning authorities have used digital technology for various aspects of plan-making.