Decision

Background / Decision Summary:

This decision is to issue the Scoping Consultation for the new Local Plan 2045 for public consultation. The Scoping Consultation is the first stage of consultation in
preparing the Council’s new Local Plan. The aim of the consultation is to ensure external stakeholders and communities are aware we are preparing a new Local Plan, consider what the Plan should contain and how they can be best engaged in plan-making. Feedback received at this stage will help the Council prepare policies that reflect the full breadth of the community.

The consultation is structured into different place-shaping themes and sets out: what’s happening currently, what’s new, what we think the key challenges for York are and questions to answer.

To enable the consultation there is an accompanying draft Engagement Strategy for the Local Plan 2045 process, a Scoping Consultation Strategy specific to this consultation and a Human Rights and Equalities Assessment (HREA). These will be published and can be commented on as part of the consultation.

This decision also updates the Local Plan Timetable for preparation. This has been updated to reflect the start date of the consultation and subsequent amendments to the timetable as necessary to be in accordance with the statutory milestones set out in the regulatory regime. This will be updated on our website and on the council’s opendata platform.

Background
The current Local Plan was adopted on 27 February 2025. However, following new national direction, it must now be updated to reflect the latest requirements and approach. York’s new Local Plan will be prepared under the reformed plan-making system, in accordance with The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026 and planning guidance issued by MHCLG.

This consultation follows the decision by Executive in April 2026 to formally initiate a new Local Plan, a decision at the Executive Member Decision Session in July 2026 to include minerals and waste planning policies into the Local Plan and Formal Notice to commence plan-making of the Local Plan issued on 28 July 2026.

Delegations relevant to the preparation of the Local Plan are set out in Executive decision from April 2026. The detail in this decision is delegated the Director of City Development in consultation with the Executive Member for Housing, Planning and Safer Communities.