Getting ready to prepare a new plan
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-27)

Draft information on how local planning authorities should get ready to adopt a plan within 30 months.

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.

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 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.

In the new plan-making system, you are expected to spend time getting ready before you start to prepare a new plan. You will need to demonstrate what you have done to get ready before starting the 30-month plan making process.

Any time you spend getting ready does not count towards your 30-month period.

This period ends when you pass through the Gateway 1 self-assessment (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/gateway-1-what-you-need-to-do), which is when you confirm you are starting the 30-month plan preparation process (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/30-month-local-plan-process-an-overview).

This guidance refers to a range of tasks to complete. In future, it will link to more detailed guidance pages about how to do each task. We’re working on these and they will be available soon.

Getting ready overview

Getting ready is an important stage of plan-making. Doing this before the 30-month plan preparation process will help you to adopt a plan within the timeframe.

Getting ready means making progress in these 5 areas:

preparing and publishing a local plan timetable

establishing project management and governance

consulting and engaging on the plan

anticipated content of the plan

starting your Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

These are the areas you must provide details in relation to for the Gateway 1 self-assessment summary.

Before starting the 30-month plan preparation process, you must:

prepare and publish the first version of your local plan timetable in line with the data standards

publish your notice of intention to commence (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/giving-notice-of-your-plan-making) at least 4 months before you intend to pass through Gateway 1

invite early engagement from stakeholders by running a scoping consultation

We’ve set out the recommended progress (#recommended-progress-to-make-by-gateway-1) you should have made in each area before Gateway 1. We based these recommendations on what would best support you to adopt a plan within 30 months.

You can find the recommendations below. You’ll also find a readiness checker, which you should use to check your progress towards the recommendations.

You should prepare a project initiation document (PID) when getting ready. We recommend you use the template provided by the Planning Advisory Service (PAS), (https://www.local.gov.uk/pas/plans/new-plan-making-system-what-we-know-so-far/local-plan-project-initiation-document-pid) which will help you to consider the important questions before you start preparing your plan. You can find out more about using a PID below.

When to start getting ready

While some required activities must take place in a specific order, we recommend you start getting ready as early as possible.

Recommended progress to make by Gateway 1

Preparing and publishing a local plan timetable

You must publish a local plan timetable in line with regulations and data standards. The first version of the timetable must be published before or together with your notice to commence.

The timetable should show how your LPA will prepare and adopt a plan within a 30-month timeframe.

Guidance on preparing and publishing a local plan timetable will be available soon.

Establishing project management and governance

By Gateway 1, we recommend you have:

a robust approach to manage, govern, resource and finance the preparation of the plan that is going to allow you to deliver the local plan timetable

identified potential risks and have effective processes in place to monitor, manage and mitigate them

involved all relevant teams and decision makers in designing, testing and signing off your approach

Read guidance from PAS on project management and governance for your local plan (https://www.local.gov.uk/pas/plans/new-plan-making-system-what-we-know-so-far/planning-plan-new-plan-making-system).

Consulting and engaging on the plan

Before passing through Gateway 1, you must complete a scoping consultation addressing matters including what the plan should contain and how you’ll engage with stakeholders going forward. As part of this you must notify and invite the views of public and specific consultation bodies listed in the regulations.

Additionally, by Gateway 1 we recommend you have:

a strategy for engaging the community and other key stakeholders in the preparation of the plan, which has regard to government guidance

clear processes in place to maximise responses from a diverse range of stakeholders, using both digital-first and traditional methods

sought feedback from key decision makers when developing the strategy

Guidance on consulting and engaging on your local plan will be available soon.

Scoping the anticipated content of the plan

By Gateway 1, we recommend you:

understand the proposed scope of the local plan – you know the main areas or locally specific subject matters it will address, based on data from the existing local plan, as well as information gathering, baselining and early engagement

have used early baselining and engagement activities to draft a vision and have begun identifying measurable outcomes to monitor your progress towards that vision

have mostly identified and scoped your evidence needs and have a plan for how you’ll deliver this

have started to understand the likely levels of development that you require for the plan area

have made some early considerations for high-level and conceptual spatial options to deliver identified development needs as well as topics that may require specific policies

Read guidance on the following aspects of preparing the content for your plan:

gathering baselining data (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/gathering-baselining-information-to-inform-a-local-plan)

preparing a vision (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/preparing-a-local-plan-vision)

Guidance on other aspects will be available soon.

Progressing the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

We expect SEA will be required for local plans. By Gateway 1, if you need one, we recommend you have identified:

relevant environmental protection objectives for your SEA at international, national or community level

other relevant plans or programmes baseline information against which to assess the environmental impact of the plan, including the environmental characteristics of the area likely to be significantly affected, existing environmental problems and key receptors

Guidance on SEA will be available soon. When considering SEA, refer to the relevant regulations.

Using the readiness checker to track your progress

You should use the readiness checker to track your progress towards the recommendations.

Download the readiness checker for gateway 1 (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/692b5952345e31ab14ecf799/Readiness_checker_for_gateway_1.xlsx) (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 26.9 KB).

The checker breaks the 5 areas into activities you will be doing to get ready. For each activity, you can select one of three statements about your progress, set out as red, amber and green.

If you select only green statements, this indicates you’ve made the recommended progress and are ready to start preparing the plan.

If you select any amber statements, this indicates you may need to make more progress before you start. You could still decide to start if you have a strategy for addressing the gaps. You should use your own judgement to consider what is appropriate for you.

If you select any red statements, this indicates you might have significant work to do before you should start.

In this case, you are not likely to adopt your plan within 30 months. We recommend you consider your circumstances and think about what you need to do before you start preparing your plan. It may be possible to proceed at risk, but this will depend on how critical the issues are and the amount of work needed to address them.

There’s also space for you to write an explanation for each selection, if you wish. For example, you could make note of:

any risks to being ready you’re aware of

evidence you have for selecting the green, amber or red statement

whether you feel something is a barrier to starting for you

which teams you’re working with to make the recommended progress

You can rename the notes column or add more columns to make the checker meet your team’s needs.

We recommend you track your progress early and often. This would support you to pass through Gateway 1 efficiently by finding and resolving issues early.

Using a project initiation document (PID) to help you get ready

Use your project initiation document (PID) to help you organise and plan early preparatory work for your local plan. We recommend you:

use it to record your preparations in a structured way

consider it as a “living document” that will be updated as you prepare your plan

As a minimum, we expect the PID to include detailed information about:

the scope of the plan and relationship with other plans

the strategy for engaging your communities and other key stakeholders

detailed project planning to underpin your local plan timetable

your governance and decision-making arrangements

the resources and skills you need to oversee and deliver the plan

how you will fund work on the plan

details of key risks to delivering the plan and suitable mitigations

You do not have to publish your PID in full, its main purpose is to help you manage and track progress of work within your team. We recommend using elements of your PID to help you communicate at key points, such as:

internal engagement with your decision makers and politicians

informal external engagement with key stakeholders critical to plan delivery

drafting your Gateway 1 self-assessment summary

presenting key information about your approach at formal consultations, for example your strategy for engaging the community and other key stakeholders

demonstrating ongoing progress throughout the 30-month plan making process, for example at other gateways

We have worked with PAS to design a template for your PID (https://www.local.gov.uk/pas/plans/new-plan-making-system-what-we-know-so-far/local-plan-project-initiation-document-pid), including guidance to support you. We recommend you use this as your starting point.

Deciding when to pass through Gateway 1

Before you pass through Gateway 1, you must give at least 4 months’ notice of your intention to begin plan-making (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/30-month-local-plan-process-an-overview#give-at-least-4-months-notice-of-plan-making).

Find out when you need to decide to pass through Gateway 1 (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/gateway-1-what-you-need-to-do).