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We are developing a New Local Plan for South Gloucestershire. This will include a new strategy and policies to guide and manage growth and change in our area over at least the next 15 years.

This is an important opportunity to:

  • shape the places that we live, work and socialise in
  • have a direct impact on quality of life, the natural and built environment
  • have positive impacts on climate change, inequalities and encourage a green economy
  • discuss choices and make decisions about where future homes and jobs might be located, and which areas should be protected

New Local Plan Phase 3 consultation

The consultation is now open for Phase 3 of the New Local Plan. It runs from 6 December 2023 to 16 February 2024.

Read the consultation document

You can also view an easy read version of the document.

Note: since publication 2 errors in housing numbers have been identified in the Phase 3 consultation document. These are explained in this factual correction note – 7 February 2024.

How to have your say
There are a number of ways to comment on the Local Plan.

There is a questionnaire, interactive maps and details of face to face and online engagement events available on the New Local Plan Phase 3 consultation page.

We have also prepared a Frequently Asked Questions document that explains in more detail how to feedback and comment on the consultation phase.

Call for Sites – Phase 3
New Call for Sites or updates to existing site information can be submitted during the Phase 3 consultation. Visit our Call for Sites consultation page. Do not submit new or updated Call for Sites information via the Local Plan Phase 3 questionnaire or interactive maps.

Evidence base updates
New and updated evidence and technical studies related to our new Local Plan and Phase 3 consultation are available on our evidence base page.

Landscape Character Supplementary Planning Document
The consultation is now open on the Landscape Character SPD. It runs from 6 December 2023 to 7 February 2024. Read the consultation document and comment on the consultation page.

Local Plan progress work

New Local Plan Phase 2 - Urban, Rural and Key Issues

Consultation now closed.

The Phase 2 consultation ran from 7 February 2022 to 4 April 2022. You can access the document and information produced to support the Phase 2 document below.

New Local Plan Phase 1 - Issues and Approaches

Consultation now closed.

The Phase 1 consultation ran from 27 November 2020 to 1 March 2021. You can access the document and information produced to support the Phase 1 document below.

Evidence base and Call for Sites

Our Local Plan evidence base includes documents related to the new Local Plan, including recent new evidence and background information supporting the Phase 3 consultation. 

Further updates and evidence will be added to this page to support production of the new Local Plan.

Visit our Call for Sites consultation page to access the Call for Sites form, find out how this will inform the New Local Plan and to view all Call for Sites received to date on our online map.

Call for Sites outside of consultation periods

Promoters wishing to submit call for sites outside of a formal consultation period or to submit additional technical information to support their existing call for sites should contact our Planning Policy Team using the details below.

We will confirm if we are able to accept the submission. If so, there will be a charge of £290 plus VAT.

Read our frequently asked questions to find out why we have introduced this charge.

New Local Plan timeline

At the South Gloucestershire Council Cabinet meeting on 10 October 2022, an updated Local Plan Delivery Plan (LPDP) setting out future stages for preparation of our new Local Plan was approved.

This sets out when future stages of Local Plan consultation are planned, including a next consultation in 2023 and a draft plan (Regulation 19 stage) in 2024.

This document supersedes previous LPDP and other timelines.

A detailed timeline for preparing our new Local Plan is set out in the Local Plan Delivery Programme (LPDP). This may be subject to change based on any changes to the National Planning System.

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Updates

November 2023

November 2023
Our Cabinet has approved the next stage of our Local Plan for public consultation. The consultation period will run from 6 December 2023 to 7 February 2023.

You can read the report submitted to Cabinet which contains the latest draft of the Plan.

The final draft version will not be published until the start of the formal consultation period. This version will include additional information such as maps and background documents.

In addition, Bristol City Council – who are in the process of producing their Local Plan – have formally written to us ask us to consider whether we are able to help with meeting some of its unmet housing need.

The request falls under the Duty to Cooperate on strategic matters. You can read their letter here.

We recognise the critical national and local need to provide more homes. We will explore with Bristol what may be possible, taking an evidence-led approach. However, as set out in the current draft of our Local Plan, our priority is to meet our own needs and this is understood and accepted by Bristol.

August 2023

Local Plan programme and timetable update
The next stage of the Local Plan and update to the timetable is intended to be considered by our cabinet at its meeting on 13 November with public consultation expected to start from the beginning of December until the end of January.

Further updates on the engagement programme and how you can have your say on the plan will be available in due course. In this next phase of the plan we will set out the number of homes and jobs it needs to plan for, strategy ‘lenses’ which consider different approaches and location to meet these needs, and how this will inform our emerging spatial strategy.

The plan will also identify proposed areas to be safeguarded for renewable energy and minerals production, an update on delivering our strategic green infrastructure corridors and how we intend to meet the needs of our Gypsy, Traveller and Showmen communities, along with further consultation on the new policies the plan will include.

Read more about the timeline and future content in our Local Plan Delivery Programme (LPDP).

March 2023

Call for Sites update
We have updated the sites, supporting packs of information and the FAQs for our Call for Sites Map and process. Details of this can be found in the Call for Sites drop down below and on the Call for Sites page.

We have introduced a change to our procedure for accepting new Call for Sites. More details on this process are set out on the Call for Sites page.

Five Year Housing Supply and Authority’s Monitoring Report
The latest Five-Year Housing Supply calculations, housing trajectory and key housing and employment monitoring indicators are now available to view in the 2022 Authority’s Monitoring Report. This document confirms that as of 15 March 2023 we have a housing land supply of 5.35 years.

You can find out more information on these issues.

Biodiversity and Planning SPD
This has been completed following the consideration of comments made to public consultation in 2022.
Read the final version on our supplementary planning documents page.

Get advice

We offer an advice service for developers and landowners to meet with us to discuss your Local Plan representations. This is available for £290 plus VAT (as of April 2022) and is subject to us considering it is appropriate.

Contact planningpolicy@southglos.gov.uk to request this service.

Keep updated

By signing up to our consultations, you can keep up with progress on the Local Plan, consultations and key updates from us. You can also register for updates, email policy.consultation@southglos.gov.uk and request to be added to the Local Plan consultation database. 

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