Local Plan timetable

Published 30 June 2026

Date for publishing notice of intention to commence Local Plan preparation

When: 30 June 2026

This gives communities and stakeholders advance notice that the Council is preparing a new Local Plan. The notice must be published at least 4 months before the Gateway 1 stage.

Date for publishing notice of scoping consultation

When: 20 July 2026

This is the first formal public consultation stage in the process, where anyone may give initial views on what the Local Plan should cover and how the Council should work with them.

Period for receiving representations to the scoping consultation (6 weeks)

When: 20 July to 31 August 2026

Gateway 1: Publication of self-assessment summary

When: 31 October 2026

This stage is a self-assessment summary confirming that we have published the timetable and notice, completed the scoping consultation, and have a project plan in place to begin preparing the Local Plan. Once Gateway 1 has been passed, we have 30 months to prepare and adopt the Local Plan. The self-assessment will be published on our website.

Date for publishing notice of proposed Local Plan content and evidence consultation

When: 12 April 2027

This second formal consultation will set out the proposed vision, aims and objectives, and a summary of the policy topics the Plan will cover. We will also publish a summary of the evidence that is available or proposed to support the Plan.

Period for receiving representations to the Local Plan content and evidence consultation

When: 12 April to 24 May 2027

Gateway 2: Date on which observations and advice will be sought

When: 1 November 2027

This stage is a formal method of obtaining feedback from the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) on the draft Plan and supporting evidence, ensuring our approach aligns with national policy, guidance and legislation.

Date for publishing notice of proposed Local Plan consultation

When: 13 March 2028

This is the third formal consultation stage and is where we will publish our full draft Local Plan, any supporting documents, and invite the public and other stakeholders to comment. We will publish a notice to inform stakeholders and give at least 8 weeks for people to send in their views.

Period for receiving representations to the proposed Local Plan consultation

When: 13 March to 8 May 2028

Gateway 3: Date on which observations and advice will be sought

When: 9 October 2028

This stage provides a final check by the Planning Inspectorate to confirm whether the Plan is ready to be submitted for examination. It acts as a check that the required legal and procedural steps have been completed and helps identify any outstanding issues before submission. The formal assessment of soundness takes place later at the examination stage.

Date for submission of the proposed Local Plan for independent examination

When: 18 December 2028

At this stage, the proposed Local Plan will be submitted to the Government for examination by an independent Planning Inspector. The Inspector will review the Plan to check that it meets legal requirements and is appropriate for the area.

Date for adopting the Local Plan

When: 30 April 2029

The date on which the Local Plan is scheduled for adoption.

• https://www.north-norfolk.gov.uk/media/localplan/north-norfolk-local-plan-timetable.csv 

This file has been produced in accordance with the Government's data standard. It contains the key milestones and dates upon which the Plan is to be prepared. It will be updated when changes have been made to the timetable and when milestones have been met. The data within this file is being provided to the Government under the Open Government Licence.

The Local Plan is intended to cover the period from 2029 to 2045. It will replace the North Norfolk Local Plan 2024 to 2040.

The Plan will include a vision, objectives, measurable outcomes, policies and site allocations.

It will not cover minerals and waste as Norfolk County Council is the relevant planning authority for these matters.

The Plan will cover the geographical area of North Norfolk, excluding the Broads Authority area.

View this on our web map.

The Local Plan timetable is prepared and published in accordance with the requirements of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended) and The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026.

The timetable will be made available for inspection during normal office hours at the Council's office at Holt Road, Cromer, NR27 9EN. This notice will remain available for the duration of the Local Plan preparation and for at least 3 months following its adoption.

If you would like the timetable as a PDF, please email planning.policy@north-norfolk.gov.uk.